A Reaper's Tail
by zipscool
Summary: An Assassin is given the task of hunting the daughter of the famous mage Salamander of Fairy Tail and fails miserably. To his own bewilderment he is invited to the Guild to learn magic and embarks on an adventure with the new generation of Fairy Tail.
1. Boy Meets Dragon Slayer

**Huh. Out of all the things I thought I'd do I never thought I'd write something for this. Oh well, I'm sure you guys know the story: once the muse is upon you its pretty difficult **_**not **_**to put your idea down on paper am I right?**

**Alright, before we begin I'd like to go over something.**

**First up is the issue of pairings. From the synopsis it's no secret this is a 'next-generation' fic and I'd expect some of you are looking for kids from your favourites from this series, as well as the lucky girl who got with Natsu. Couples will be confirmed as the story goes on with the exception of a minor few and Natsu; reason being that I like the Natsu and Lucy pairing and I also like the Natsu and Lisanna pairing (the latter slightly moreso because I'm an absolute sap for childhood romances, though I accept that your mileage may vary). As such I thought I'd not risk a shitstorm and potentially losing part of an audience by choosing one over the other and have therefore decided to make the identity of the mother ambiguous so you guys can leave it entirely to your own imaginations which it is depending on whoever you prefer.**

**I own nothing but this story and a few characters but if I did then the black dragon would have fucked off somewhere else; meaning that bullshit deus ex machina and the timeskip that came with it never would have happened. On another note though I'm glad to see that Mashima actually went ahead and made Alzack and Bisca canon.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter One: Boy Meets Dragon-Slayer**

The boy sat in the far corner of the hall, watching with disinterest as beer steins and mugs crashed together as the assorted members toasted to their present and future successes. The reek of alcohol permeated the very air and the boy felt that if he stayed much longer then the stink would sink into his clothes. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as one of the males fell upon a shrieking waitress – like the rest she was a captive, little better than a slave.

He looked away as the woman begged for the drunk to cease his ravaging, crying out for help that would never come. His friends at the table – equally inebriated – bellowed their approval, give it about two more drinks and they'd likely join in. He didn't want to be in here with these people who were older than him, even the youngest among them was eight years his senior, and like the others, had little interest in him – which suited the boy just fine as long as they kept their distance. He heard sobs and grunts and screwed his eyes shut as tight as he could. He hated that noise; he hated hearing it every day he stepped within this cursed building, and the cries of bastard children who were locked in with their mothers that accompanied their wails. He had made a silent vow to himself long ago never to make a woman suffer like that if he could help it, though if he stayed with this Guild much longer he doubted it was a promise he could keep, particularly if enough of the others egged him and whoever it was on enough... and if there wasn't a show then blood would likely follow; his or hers, he doubted it would actually matter that much whose it was as long as it flowed.

Finally a shadow fell across him and with the exception of the writhing couple on the floor the whole hall descended into silence. The right hand of the Master loomed above him like a watchful gargoyle, he almost smirked – Magnus Locke looked much like a gargoyle, indeed it was part of the reason he had the nickname. The other was because he was a terrifying presence when his blood was up – entire squads of the Magic Council's Rune Knights had fallen before him, honestly the boy doubted he'd last too long if it came to a blood-duel between the two of them.

"Master Malizer requests your presence boy." His tone was cold, entirely detached. The boy doubted he'd ever seen him with so much as the ghost of a smile unless he was slitting some poor bastard's throat.

Despite his inherent dislike of the man before him he was grateful for his arrival – for starters it meant that he could finally get out of sight of the disgusting hall and the people who occupied it. He stood, taking a grip on the massive sword propped against his chair and sheathing it on his back, a cloak as black as midnight billowed around him, blown by some invisible gust – the boy sighed; another draft, the place was falling into greater disrepair with each passing day.

Without any further words exchanged, the boy let Magnus lead him to the third Guild Master of the Assassin's Guild Night Reaper. The pair entered a large office with two grand, open windows which offered a spectacular view of the magnificent forest the Guild was based in, and the river that ran through it. The boy sniffed at the figure slouching back in the chair. Magnus growled softly in irritation and raised a hand into the air; then suddenly brought it crashing down onto the desk in front of him. The man in the chair startled awake, and reached for the war hammer at his side before he finally registered his visitors as friends.

"Oh... it's you two... good." He started as he rubbed his eyes. He shifted the chair back and stood up, and both the boy and Magnus raised an eyebrow at their Master's pant-less state and the white underwear on full display.

"Master... You forgot your pants again." Magnus groaned, partly to himself. The Master of the Assassins blinked at him, still half-dazed from waking up, then glanced downwards and nodded.

"Hm? Oh. So I have. Oh well, I'll get some later." The boy just managed to stop himself rolling his eyes; _this _was the man who had taken the Guild by slaying the previous Master? At first glance he seemed an impressive sight; he stood a little shorter than Magnus, and his limbs were lined with enough muscle to crush diamonds – or so he boasted. The thick grey coat lent him an even greater figure and the thick black hair that hung messily across his head, combined with the bored, tired gaze of his eyes gave an aura of easy confidence – intimidation was as much a weapon of assassins as their own physical tools. There was also the matter of the humungous hammer at his side; that weapon had pulverised more bodies and crushed more bones than the boy could conceive, and if that wasn't enough, the scar that split his face gave the Master of Night Reaper an even more terrifying visage.

Guild Master Ein Malizer regarded the boy for a moment longer before turning back to his desk, and he gave a silent prayer to the gods that he no longer needed to bear witness to the older man's crotch. The Master picked up a letter from the table with one hand and studied it casually; he tilted his head and turned in the boy's direction.

"Do you know what this is boy?" he asked. The boy gazed absently at the scrap of paper in his Master's hands, the angle wasn't good but it seemed like –

"A request for the killing of a certain individual." The Master spoke; almost like he'd read his mind. Silence reigned for a moment, and the boy felt a nudge from behind – he should speak.

"Why is this something you wanted to talk about with me?" he asked. The Master frowned and cast a look at Magnus before turning it almost immediately back to him.

"It concerns a... friend of mine." That didn't answer a thing.

"Why me? I'm the youngest, un-tempered, and inexperienced. Why not one of the others?" he asked honestly. The Master let a low, rumbling laugh escape his lips.

"Why my dear boy. I never said he was a particularly good friend did I? Besides, it doesn't look like all that much." With that he casually thrust the request sheet into the boy's hands. Taking it cautiously, he looked it over. The more he read, the more he understood.

_I see your game now you crafty old bastard._

"You want me to kill Yayuhl Dragneel –"

"It's pronounced Yai-ul, brat." The Master corrected.

"Right, right. You want me to kill Yael Dragneel... the daughter of the mage known widely as 'Salamander'... the dragon-slayer..." The Master raised an eyebrow.

"You know of him?" he seemed genuinely surprised. This time, the boy _did _roll his eyes.

"I keep up with current events." He paused, then added "Master" as an afterthought.

"Then you'll know that he and that team of his has undertaken that hundred-year mission that's been fluttering around the official guilds." It wasn't a question; the boy nodded.

"Good. Aside from the reward money, I think this will be a perfect opportunity to baptise you by fire." The corner of his lip tugged at the joke he'd made. Neither the boy nor Magnus smiled with him though, and the smile soon curled in the opposite direction "Oh fuck you that was a good one." He snarled, raising his hand and extending his middle finger at the pair. He took a breath and then fixed the boy a withering glare.

"Allow me to be completely honest with you boy. I've never liked you, not even once, and if you ask me, the Second was an even bigger fool spoiling you than he was with his ridiculous idea of utilising magic." This surprised the boy none: he'd always detected a layer of hostility from the Third Guild Master, and it mildly surprised him that he'd not had him executed the moment he'd taken power, at barely fourteen, almost two years ago, it would have been a simple task. As it had happened though, Malizer had kept the boy around, allowing the hours the Second had spent grooming him to stagnate – he barely swung his weapon any more except on the rare occasion he was allowed into the practice cages in the underground cave network that lurked beneath the guild.

"But..." Malizer took a deep breath and sighed "I know as well as he did that allowing you to rot in this pathetic place would be a considerable waste" he paused "much as I would like to see that." He mused with a cruel smile; he let it drop in an instant and turned his gaze back on the boy.

"So here is my offer: kill this girl, claim the reward, return with an oath of loyalty on your lips and I will reconsider my opinion of you... If you fail?" he chuckled unpleasantly "Well; the Second had ways of dealing with those who did – and unlike some others, I fully intend on keeping that tradition alive and well." The boy nodded in understanding. Master Malizer leaned back in his chair, a pleased expression overcoming him.

"Good. I trust that after this – should you succeed of course – you will find that I'm actually not quite as bad as you seem to believe I am. Good luck and good hunting." With that he bade them leave.

Magnus accompanied the boy back to the main hall, where sounds of raucous laughter and a few scattered shrieks of pain even now echoed throughout the building.

"Will I have to be watched by others of the Guild?" the boy asked Magnus without bothering to look up at him. Magnus grunted softly and shook his head.

Liev Eiskufe released a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods. I was getting tired of having to shake them."

"What an asshole."

"Who?" Liev asked as he continued through the forest pathway. The canopy blocked all the light, casting a strange darkness over the forest – a darkness that got steadily blacker and malevolent the closer one got to the guild.

"You know who I mean. That bastard's basically sent you on a suicide mission! He knows well as you do that there's almost no chance of success. Fairy Tail clawed back its reputation as the toughest official guild years back and it's kept it ever since. Besides even if you did somehow manage to catch this Yael alone, we have no idea how strong she actually is! And there's the fact that she uses magic –"

"Which is fine! I've got you remember? Magic shouldn't be a problem." Liev said; entirely nonplussed at the tone of voice his partner was using.

"Alright fair enough but what about..." her words faded into the background noise as Liev considered the weapon on his back and the creature bound to it.

Gifted to him before he'd entered double digits by the Second Master of Night Reaper – the blade Abhainn, for that was the fairy's name (at least, she _claimed_ to be a fairy) was fully as long as Liev was tall. That was a precious small issue whenever Liev wielded her though; he swung it as though she were as light and as graceful as smaller blades. However it had surprised him greatly when he had been meditating upon a hard day's practice and the blade suddenly spoke to him. What had surprised him even more though was the fact that no one else seemed to be able to hear her, which was a bit of a shame; she knew some damn good jokes.

"– and don't even get me started on how he forgets his pants in the morning! I mean it's bad enough that he treats us both like dirt but to have to look at his tiny –" Liev decided to cut her off there, he'd rather not remember that particular piece of information.

"You mean how he treats _me _like dirt. He doesn't even know you exist. Hell, _no one _knows you exist except for me... and I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't right and I'm just crazy." He put a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"I _do_ exist goddamnit and don't you dare think that I don't!" she screeched so loudly that Liev stumbled and lost his balance for a moment.

"Sorry..." he heard her mutter and he allowed a brief smile to come to him. His partner was noisy, bossy, demanded that she be cleaned every day for at least an hour and would sometime go on and on but Liev believed that without her being so constant in his life he would have probably really gone crazy many years ago. Besides, every now and then she wasn't so bad, one might even call her cute at said times, though Liev had no idea what she looked like or even if she was a physical being so it was a mixed bag of feelings on that topic.

"Don't worry about it. Hey look we're almost out of the forest." He stated cheerfully as they exited the thick canopy and the sun spilled over the both of them. It was a beautiful day, not a single cloud in sight and the sky seemed to spill over the sky like an ocean. Liev loved it when it was like this, though he'd have preferred it slightly cooler; high temperatures tended to sap his strength.

He and Abhainn continued for two hours through Fiore, chatting to each other about events and news they heard from passing strangers or in the city they passed. Liev received many a strange look as he continued to talk with the spirit within his weapon, and drew the attention of an entire community when he suddenly burst out laughing in the middle of the street at a particularly good joke involving pigs, two tubes of toothpaste and a certain Guild Master. Liev started paying more attention to what he did in populated areas after that.

It was when he reached the outskirts of Magnolia – travelling through the hills that overlooked the town – that he stumbled across his target. By complete coincidence Yael and three of her friends were returning from a mission of their own that had taken them to Hargeon.

"So what do you intend to do?" asked Abhainn as Liev stared at the massive settlement that stretched out before him. He hummed to himself and put on a thoughtful expression as he put his hand up to his chin, stroking it absent-mindedly.

"I'll ask around. She's the daughter of the Salamander... sooo that must mean she's pretty popular right?" he answered.

"Why are you asking me? It's not like I've met her... besides won't that seem a little suspicious; a shady-looking guy carrying a sword almost as big as he is asking about the location of the daughter of one of the most famous mages in the country?" Liev frowned; she had a point. He took out the photo for reference and his frown deepened.

"You know this'd be a whole lot easier if the only photo of this girl hadn't been taken when she was two years old." She seemed like a cute baby, but then every baby looked sweet and innocent at that stage in life.

Liev scrunched the photo up in frustration and hurled it into the sky with all his might, cursing the person who'd offered the job without bothering to give any details of the target in question. In the same breath, he cursed Ein Malizer for giving him the job– which seemed less and less like a suicide mission and more like a wild goose chase as he closed in on the merchant city. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down after his fit and began to think again.

"Hmm... Do you think maybe I could hide out somewhere close to the guild and just keep an eye on it? Maybe wait for this Yael to pass by?" he asked aloud.

"What; where help from the strongest Mage's Guild in the nation is only a few seconds away? I don't think so. Plus there's the issue of appearance – as in, completely unknown." Liev frowned again and rubbed his forehead – just planning on how to find this girl was fast becoming a royal pain. He sighed and was about to continue when he heard an almighty ruckus behind him. Turning his head to the woods atop the hills he could see a stampede of forest creatures and a girl rushing after them.

"Hey! Come back damnit I'm not gonna hurt you – I'm just gonna cook you a little!" she yelled at the assorted herbivores, none of which seemed particularly appetising to Liev, who simply stood in place, unable to process what he was seeing.

The girl had a wild look to her, like she'd been born in the wilderness. Her light salmon hair whipped out behind her as she ran, and there was a hungry leer in her coal eyes which made Liev more uncomfortable the longer he stared. She was dressed in a blue waistcoat left completely open, with golden highlights tailored in the shape of raging flames, a plain white tank top lay underneath which, to Liev's ever decreasing comfort, highlighted her growing curves. Dark shorts stretched just below where her thighs ended, and she wore flat, crimson sandals with more straps than Liev would know what to do with. A golden emblem laced the pockets of the girl's shorts, and as she and the stampede came closer he could make it out – _Fairy Tail!_

Clearly this girl belonged to, or was affiliated with them (the attitude helped his deduction; the strongest Mage's guild was as well known for the eccentricity of its members as its collective strength). A plan began to form in Liev's head, though it irked him that he had to put a girl through it.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked Abhainn, a grim look set upon his face as he reached for the hilt of the giant blade and pulled it from the sheath on his back.

"I think so. Stop her and ask her what Yael looks like right? I mean have you seen that emblem? And the way she's chasing those animals? Classic Fairy Tail. And better yet, she probably won't suspect a thing – they don't care much for brains those Fairy Tail mages, or so I've heard." The fairy spirit answered with a chuckle at the girl's antics; even now she drew closer in her single-minded pursuit of her meal: a four legged pig creature with a woolly hide and an ugly snout, it looked decidedly panicked.

"I was thinking more knock her out, tie her up and interrogate her but thinking about it..." he said as he lowered the giant blade. Seconds later the woolly pig ducked under it and the girl smacked into the flat of the blade face first at full pelt. She crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

A still silence descended upon Liev as his mind slowly began to comprehend the fact that he had likely just killed someone, and to make things even worse it was a girl. Liev barely stifled a yell of panic and he searched wildly around to make sure no one had seen the act. Even if it had been an accident how would it have looked to a bystander to see a stranger draw a sword while looking rather intently at the strange girl, and then to lower the weapon to block her path as she dived for the animal she singled out.

_'._

He leaned over, still panicking and gently shook the girl's shoulders, no response. He remembered some lessons he'd learnt from the Second Master and rolled the girl onto her front, and he felt his face flush when he found that she looked rather quite beautiful up close. It was the wildness he'd sensed from her that seemed to give her an aura of free-spiritedness that Liev was sure only added to her lovely angry –

– wait...

The next thing he knew he was on his back, Abhainn lay a good two feet away from him and the girl was on top of him, her eyes ablaze with smouldering fury.

"What the hell was that for?" she bellowed at Liev who reeled from the oral assault. Free-spirited, strong-willed and a violent disposition... she was definitely a Fairy Tail mage.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to..." he mumbled, falling like a deck of cards before the furious girl.

"Sorry? You just lost mine and my friends' dinner you moron!" she screeched as she grabbed Liev by the lapels and shook him violently, smacking his head on the floor and stunning him.

"Hey stop hitting him you ugly cow you're hurting him!" he heard Abhainn shout, not that it would be much use seeing how he was the only one who could hear he–

"Who said that? Someone else want a piece of me too?" she snapped, her hackles raised and she raised herself slightly off of Liev in a ready position. Liev was stock still, staring at the girl in absolute wonder.

"You... you can hear her?" he asked. The girl raised an eyebrow and glanced down at him.

"Of course I can. What, you think I'm deaf or something?" she snarled at him and Liev felt himself shiver. This girl was positively terrifying, were all Fairy Tail mages like this?

"No-no-no not in the slightest. It's just well..." he paused, unsure of how to proceed, and after a few moments; decided to throw caution to the wind "no one else can hear her. You're the only other person to hear her other than me." The girl kept her brow raised.

"What is she a ghost?" her anger quickly changed to amazement "Can you talk to spirits or something? Can I? Is this part of dad's magic too? Man I can't wait to tell everyone back at the Guild –" Liev slapped a hand over her mouth to stop her talking; she narrowed her eyes at him and Liev suddenly felt something wet and slimy on his hand. He withdrew it in revulsion when he realised that she was licking his hand.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he asked her, aghast as he wiped his hand on the grass.

"To get your hand off my face – I was still talking you know, that's really rude." _This comes from the girl who tackled me and started yelling in my face. Though I suppose I did hit her with my sword._

"Anyway whatever you're thinking you're wrong" Liev interrupted "if you'll get off me, I'll show her to you." The girl seemed to consider this for a moment before standing and stepping off him, even offering her hand to help him up. Liev took it with the hand she hadn't licked and pulled himself up with her help. He walked briskly to where Abhainn had fallen and took her by the hilt, pulling her up and pointing to the giant blade.

"This is Abhainn, the voice you heard earlier." The girl adopted an expression that bordered suspicious and thoughtful and scrutinised the weapon with an intensity that seemed entirely unnecessary. She withdrew after a minute.

"A talking sword? That's crazy." She said disbelievingly.

"No I'm serious! She says she's a fairy and that she was bound or sealed into this sword years ago by a mage or something." Her interest piqued when he uttered the word 'fairy' as he suspected it might. She studied the blade again.

"Excuse me? Personal space." Abhainn suddenly spoke and the girl halted in surprise before drawing back.

"Huh. What do you know, it does talk." She spoke matter-of-factly.

"I'm a _she_! Not an _it_!" Abhainn yelled; insulted as she always was when people referred to her as such.

"Oh, sorry." She said with an apologetic grin. Liev watched the exchange for a moment before deciding that he'd stayed silent long enough.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked the girl, who looked back up at him and then spread her lips in a wide smile.

"I was coming back from a mission with some of my friends. We lost our food in a really big fight so I told them I'd go get some for us all." _Friends? Crap. This could be difficult... or perhaps not._

"Hey do you know a –"

"There you are!" _Crap-in-a-hat._ The voice belonged to neither of them and originated from the edge of the wood from where the girl had emerged.

"We were looking all over for you! We thought you'd gotten lost for a moment there." Came another voice.

Three new arrivals stood before them, two more girls and a male, each looked roughly the same age as Liev. The closest – the male, looked almost shaven with bright, green hair, and wearing a neat, thick red coat that hung like a cloak from his shoulders – a chain stretched between the lapels of the collar and likely kept it from falling off. A formal looking striped shirt lay underneath and his dark pants blended almost perfectly into the darkness cast by the woodland canopy.

The girls seemed a mixed bunch; the tallest had soft, gentle features with silky, short blonde hair and kind violet eyes, which looked particularly out of place considering the suit she wore. It looked like a more lightweight, thinner version of the suits that old world knights used, a bracelet wrapped around her right wrist with something printed onto it, though what exactly Liev couldn't discern from this distance.

The last looked roughly as tall as the salmon-haired girl, and seemed much more wary with her hands on her hips and her shock of dark hair that fell just above her neckline. A black tattoo of a rearing panther stretched across her cheek and extended all the way to her eye, where one paw was raised in a striking motion. Most striking however – aside from her angular and thoroughly pleasant features – was her eyes: one was the colour of gold, the other a rich blue that reminded Liev of the river by his Guild. She was clad in a sky blue one-piece, with a sunshine yellow strip that extended from her thigh all the way to the top, following her curves all the way to the top of the garment.

"Hey guys!" the girl said cheerily as she greeted them with a wave "Sorry about making you worry. I almost had our dinner but this guy got in the way so now he's gonna treat us, okay?" Liev started at being singled out and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

_I don't think I've got enough money on me to treat four strangers to a meal. Wait what the hell am I thinking? I need to find this Yael person; I don't have time to mess around with these people!_

The girl with the panther tattoo looked like she was studying him; she shut her eyes and muttered something to herself and Liev felt something tug at the back of his skull. The girl opened her eyes, which were now wide with concern and the sensation disappeared as soon as it had come, Liev had a bad feeling about her –

"Yael he's here to kill you! He's from an Assassin's Guild!" she shouted, alarmed and evidently fearful for her friend's life.

_What? A mind-reader! Shit this is – wait..._

He glanced at the salmon-haired girl at his side, and he froze.

_This is Yael Dragneel?_

Yael seemed almost as shocked at the revelation as Liev was at it being so quickly unveiled. She twisted towards him in a combat stance, her gaze twisted into a mask of absolute fury.

"And here I thought you might not be so bad... but to work for an Assassin's Guild? My dad said they were the lowest of the low. Killing people for money? That ain't no way to work! That ain't no way to live!" she lashed out with a vicious kick that Liev just barely deflected with the flat of his blade. He skidded back on the ground and brought his blade up in a low crouching stance.

_Definitely the kid of the Salamander, she's packing some serious strength. Gotta get going right off the bat. _

He brought the blade in a one-handed arc that was unleashed so viciously and so suddenly that it cut the very air itself. Yael ducked below the blow and slammed her fists together as fire suddenly burst from her hands.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Yael bellowed as she charged directly at her foe –

– only to find that he was no longer in front of her, the attack dissipated as she halted suddenly and threw herself aside as Liev brought Abhainn in a brutal downwards slash.

"You know I think you might've actually hit me if you hadn't spent that time calling out your –"

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!" **Yael swept through the air with brilliant flames erupting from her feet. She crashed into the ground where Liev had been standing mere moments ago.

"Seriously you know, all you're doing is giving me time to dodge." He shouted to the enraged Dragon-Slayer.

"**Dance of Blades: Tempest!" **the girl in the armour appeared to Liev's flank, an ornate, elegant blade in her hands. Liev brought Abhainn up just in time, parrying the blow, but the sheer power behind it jarred his arm.

_Goddamn, are all the women in Fairy Tail like these monsters?_

"I take offense to that!** Fire Bullet!**" the girl with the black hair shouted and a ball of sizzling fire shot towards Liev. The girl in the armour leapt back just as Yael leapt into the fray, grappling Liev's left arm and pulling her own back in preparation to unleash a devastating hook. The insanity of the manoeuvre left Liev dumbfounded for a crucial moment and he was barely able to slip from the hold of the Dragon-Slayer and hop away before the ball of fire crashed into Yael.

Liev spent a few moments gawping at the crater where the girl had stood a moment before. Thick, roiling smoke billowed into the sky, marring an otherwise perfect day.

_Uhhh... That counts as a kill right?_

A suckling sound brought him out of his shock, it seemed to be coming from the crater – but that couldn't be could it? She'd been obliterated by her own comrade.

Or not.

The smoke parted and Liev blanched as he saw the girl _swallow _the fire spell. She wiped her mouth and belched appreciatively before turning to her friend.

"Pretty good stuff there Rana. Thanks for the meal." She said with a wide grin.

"No problem Yael, happy to be of help." She replied, smiling back.

_She _eats _fire? This is a whole new level of crazy!_

"Oh yeah! Dragon-Slayer magic! Man it has been _so _long since I've seen this. Anyway yeah they're immune to and can eat the element they associate themselves with to gain strength." Abhainn explained.

"They _what?_" Liev yelled at his weapon. Yael's three friends looked at him with confusion evident on their features.

"Who do you think he was talking to?" he heard panther-tattoo ask armour-girl.

"No idea. Maybe he's crazy." She replied quietly.

"No he's just talking to his sword – it's a she." Liev sighed and hung his head at Yael's explanation.

_I don't think you should explain it like it's an everyday occurrence... well okay it is for me but that's hardly the point._

"Definitely crazy." Panter-tattoo muttered aloud, and armour-girl nodded in agreement before both resumed their battle stances and darted towards him.

"**Dance of Blades: Volcano!" **armour-girl suddenly held a broadsword that cracked and seemed to move like molten rock. Liev raised Abhainn to defend himself and he felt himself forced back again by the girl's freakish strength. He could feel an unnatural heat emanating from the blade, and as the girl pressed it closer to him, he could feel sweat begin to bead on his face – and he hadn't been fighting nearly long enough for it to be mere exhaustion.

"Oh that feels _so _nice. It's been too long since I've been to a good spa." He heard Abhainn breathe with a relaxed sigh.

"You know this isn't exactly a good time to start enjoying yourself!" Liev cried as he deflected another blow from his assailant. The girl moved so gracefully, so smoothly. It almost seemed as if she were quite literally dancing around him. He swung Abhainn around his head in a wide arc, forcing armour-girl to back away and presenting him some breathing space.

"**Fire Wall!"**

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!"**

"**Dance of Blades: Rift!"**

Three spells arced towards Liev, and even with the advanced warning he knew he'd never avoid all three of them. There was only one thing he could do.

"Alright partner let's see if the Second wasn't just bluffing when he gave you to me." Liev snarled, pulling Abhainn back for one great swing, holding it as the destructive wave grew closer, closer. _Now!_

With one great heave, Abhainn cleaved through the air – and the magic that cascaded around him. The remainder though impacted on the ground behind him, exploding like a bomb, and knocking Liev forwards. Abhainn had landed a metre away from him, and he could see the mages dashing forwards to investigate whether or not he'd been hit by the roiling power. He reached for the hilt –

– only to bump against an invisible force.

_Huh?_

Liev pushed his hand forwards more forcefully. Nothing happened. It felt like there was some sort of wall blocking his path. He traced his hand to the left, then to the right. The force persisted.

_What fresh madness is this?_

"This is it for you lawbreaker." A voice chimed from his left. The dust cleared, revealing the short-haired male from Yael's group. "I'm not nearly as fast as father, but with friends like mine then I have all the time in the world to write these runes." Liev rose to his feet, unsure exactly what was going on.

"I saw what you did with your blade; very impressive. I'm not sure how you did it but I believe I'm right in thinking that keeping this from you would put the odds that much more in our favour... not that you can really escape now anyway." He had a soft voice, but there was an underlying threat in the tone he was using, and his features had hardened like granite, determination all too clear to see in those sea blue eyes. He made a sharp gesture and suddenly Liev found it difficult to breathe, he railed against the unseen barrier with his failing strength but it held firm and he fell to the ground, completely breathless, his vision darkening until he finally slipped into unconsciousness...

He awoke with a gasp, and would have flailed around like a fish out of water but for the fact that he found he was completely unable to move. He shut his eyes and told himself to calm down, focusing on slowing his breathing. Once he felt himself more in control of himself, he reopened his eyes. It was dark, and the stars decorated the night sky like shining jewels. He'd always wondered what the world would look like from a star's point of view; would it be flat like a bird's eye view? Or would it be like gazing down upon ants, too infinitely small to observe with any real detail?

He was dimly aware that there was someone sitting close to him, but in the poor light he couldn't quite make it out. Was it Master Malizer? Had he come to claim his life already? He hoped it would be quick if it was.

"Nice night huh?" the voice was a female's; most definitely _not _Malizer.

"My induction into the Guild happened on a night like this. My dad was there, mom too... actually I think everyone came. We had a great party; a massive fight too but dad said I was too small to join in..." her tone soured a little before she resumed "anyway when it was all over and everyone started going to sleep I thought to myself 'this is a really fun place, there should be more places like this'." Liev felt her gaze shift from the stars to his prone form.

"I've beaten up a bunch of people from Dark Guilds, but none of them smelled like you. What's your guild like? Is it fun?" Liev barked out a brief, sharp, bitter laugh.

"My guild is a hellhole; filled with the shrieks of the weak who can't defend themselves from the strong, and the worst kind of people you can imagine." He answered, his mood deteriorating at the memory of his 'home' of sorts. Silence reigned over the pair for a moment before the girl started again.

"Then why are you part of that guild? Why not join another one?" she asked, curious.

"The Second Master took me in when I was still young after a Dark Guild destroyed my home. I wanted revenge; he told me he'd teach me how to get it. Time went on though and I think I just became a tool he was sharpening... never found out for sure though, the Third challenged and killed him in a duel for leadership." He said, feeling more tired than he had ever felt in all his sixteen years of life.

Another silence followed, and the girl shifted in her spot as if waiting for something. Liev sighed inwardly and continued.

"This job... to kill Yael Dragneel... it was supposed to be my initiation into Night Reaper. You're not officially a member until you take on a job and bring back the heads of the target and anyone who stood in your way."

"So... what will you do now?" she asked.

"Going back isn't an option. The Third's never liked me; didn't like the Second either or anyone else who was a favourite of his. He'll... hell I don't know what he'll do to me if I return, but it ain't gonna be pleasant. I guess the only option I got is to leave the country, and even that probably won't save me." He trailed off as it sunk in deeper that his life was, for all intents and purposes, at an end. He would live it in fear, awaiting the night that the Third or another from Night Reaper finally came for him.

"You got another option." The girl spoke suddenly.

"Oh?" Liev raised an eyebrow. The girl stood up and strolled casually towards him, details were still sketchy in the darkness but it looked like –

"Yael Dragneel?" he asked, slightly breathless.

"The one and only." she said good-humouredly, Liev guessed she was grinning.

"But I – I tried to..." he sputtered.

"I know, it's in the past. Dad says he never held a grudge against a guy he beat unless they really had it coming, like if they attacked the guild." She explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Liev couldn't understand how someone could reason like that at all.

"Come join us in Fariy Tail. C'mon it'll be fun."

"But your friends... I attacked them..." Liev tried weakly.

"They'll get over it. Besides dad said that Gajeel was an enemy of the guild too one time and people got used to him after a while."

_That's not quite as reassuring as you think it is._ Liev thought to himself.

"But I don't know any magic." He said, Yael paused, leaning over him.

"Really?" she seemed surprised.

"Yeah. The Second wasn't really that fond of it, said it dulled a person's martial skill if they relied on it." He explained. Yael seemed to consider this.

"Then we'll teach it to you. Master Clive is a great teacher and if he can't do it I'm sure Mirajane will do it, or someone else it doesn't matter."

_How great it must be not to worry about this sort of stuff. Although..._

"What if Night Reaper comes for me and you guys get in the way... it'd be a guild war and those guys don't have any issues with killing people – even civilians." He heard Yael blow a raspberry.

"We'll defend everyone, and we'll kick their asses if they attack us!" she replied "So? How about it?"

Liev found himself pausing for what felt like the umpteenth time. He opened his mouth to speak; then closed it, finding himself repeating the gesture several times as he weighed the options in his head. He shut his eyes and released a stuttering breath, thinking hard about what he could do.

_I'm probably the biggest fool alive but..._

"Alright." He answered finally "I'll come with you." Yael whooped loudly and he heard her hop off the ground in her jubilation.

"On one condition." He spoke, and Yael stopped suddenly, when she didn't speak up Liev took it as a sign to name his term.

"You teach me magic."

**Right, Liev's sword – yeah I know, the concept of a dude wielding a sword as big as he is tall is a worn (many might even argue cliché) one but it really was the only thing I could think of that fit despite my own grievances with the idea – mostly because as I said, it's a rather common thing particularly in manga and it does not sit well with me using such commonplace ideas. I could make up excuses about how I don't think a talking rapier is a very inspiring sight but then I'd be little better than those people who try to justify their actions with shit that no one with an iota of intellect would buy into anyway, so I won't.**

**Rants aside, constructive criticism would be appreciated greatly, as always, hope you enjoyed; it's you guys I write this shit for.**


	2. Meetings and Morning Wake Up Calls

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Two: Meetings and Morning Wake Up Calls**

To say the Guild was noisy would have been an understatement.

Liev recalled Yael saying that there had been a fight on her induction but he'd expected it to be one of those one-off events brought about by too much alcohol, and nothing like what he was seeing now. He ducked a thrown chair which crashed against the back of one of the brawling mages, then swerved to avoid a particularly vicious punch-up between no less than four other mages, one of whom was the largest and one of the most terrifying men he'd seen in his life and was easily dominating the battle while bellowing incoherently. He skirted around another mini-brawl and finally caught up to Yael, who blocked a backhand and retaliated with a devastating haymaker which decked her luckless assailant.

"Is it always like this?" Liev asked nervously, he'd never been around so much concentrated violence before. This made the sparse blood feuds in Night Reaper seem like mere slap fights in comparison.

"Yup. That's part of what makes this Guild so fun." She said with a cheery grin as she knocked another mage flying.

_Fun... right._

"How decadent." Abhainn muttered, strapped to Liev's back.

"That's hardly the word I'd use to describe this place." Liev answered back, though he knew that the bound spirit was simply thinking aloud.

"Oh hey you started talking again." Yael noticed as she continued to forge a path through the brawling guild members "I thought you'd died or something."

"Why would I – you know what never mind."

"You have been awfully quiet lately though. You barely said anything when this gi– Yael was inviting us into this crazy guild last night." Liev said.

"I was doing some thinking that's all." The bound spirit murmured.

"Thinking? About what?" Liev asked, swivelling to the right as a bar stool came whirling through the space, crashing against another mage.

"Personal stuff, doesn't concern you." Abhainn stated matter-of-factly.

_If you don't want to talk about it why did you bring it up? _Liev gave the blade a pointed look before realising he was still in the eye of the storm so to speak and continued to follow Yael to a rather tall man in a dark cloak. He had likely been rather good looking in his youth, but age had wrinkled his face, and his slicked orange-maroon hair was greying noticeably around the edges. A warm smile graced his features as he caught sight of Yael making her way towards him, and as his gaze travelled back towards the fighting mages he found Liev, his brow quirked but his eyes lost none of their warmth and despite not having met the man yet, Liev felt he'd grow to like this old man.

"Hey grandpa Gildarts!" Yael called, waving cheerily at the man leaning on the edge of the bar. A pretty white-haired woman handed him a stein and gave Yael a bright smile when she noticed the young dragon slayer. Liev almost stopped in his tracks at the name, renowned throughout the nation as the master of the strongest guild in Fiore – if even half the legends surrounding this man were true then he'd fought dragons and destroyed black holes! And this girl was calling him 'grandpa'?

"Hey kiddo." The (briefly) 5th and 7th Master of Fairy Tail greeted Yael with a wave of his own before taking a casual gulp from the stein. He gave a nod of appreciation before raising it in acknowledgement towards the snow-white barmaid before he turned his attention back to Yael, who suddenly leapt into the air and pulled her fist back. Liev stood stock still, stunned.

_Surely she's not going to–?_

A twinkle shone in the old man's eye as he casually shifted to the side, allowing Yael to bring her fist down on the bar, splintering the wood. She turned swiftly and swept her right leg up towards his head, the aging man moved more fluidly than a man half his age, ducking the kick and stepping in front of the teen, an amused grin on his face. He raised his left hand – which Liev noticed seemed to be artificial – and brought it crashing down on the girl's head. The sheer force behind the blow seemed to flatten the dragon slayer entirely, and left a marked indenture on the floor where she now lay unmoving. Liev never took his eyes off the spectacle.

_Is she dead? _He wondered to himself, but saw the girl stir and raise her head, a cheeky grin illuminating her wild features.

"Strong as ever grandpa Gildarts, but I'll hit you one day." She promised as she accepted the old Master's outstretched hand, who gave a hearty laugh in reply.

"I don't doubt you will, until then though I'd prefer it if you didn't attack me while I'm in the middle of a drink." He said, grinning at Yael, who seemed to finally remember her original purpose.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot. Grandpa Gildarts, this is –"

"Yael! Get away from him!" a voice bellowed above the din and Liev felt a fist connect with his jaw, knocking him over. The green-haired male from before stood over him, and he looked positively livid. Liev tried to bring up an arm in defence but a sweep of his boot knocked it away and the next thing he knew it was on his throat; pressure steadily building, crushing his wind-pipe.

"So I see that punishment we gave you earlier wasn't enough for you, scum! I'll make sure you're never able to harm anyone ever again." With that, while keeping his foot on Liev's neck he began to write in the air. Strange, flowing symbols began to appear and seemed to blaze with a power that made Liev shudder on the inside.

"Hey..." the boy stopped and turned to the source of the voice, and Gildarts Clive stood towering over the youth. He stopped, stunned.

"M-master..." he started, before he was pummelled into the ground by a swift chop from the master. The boy was unmoving, and as he gasped for air, Liev thought he saw blood begin to pool and spread from underneath him. The white-haired barmaid gave a cry of distress and rushed over to him, taking him into her arms and cradling him, whispering soothing words.

"Ah. Sorry Mira, I forgot that not all youngsters are as durable as Yael here." He apologised, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as the boy was coaxed into consciousness by his mother.

He turned his gaze to Liev, who noticed that his gaze hardened and that Master Clive was now surrounded by an aura of power so terrifying that it seemed to encompass Liev's entire field of vision as he fixed his gaze on the master. He barely registered that behind him the entire guild had ceased fighting and were now looking on with a mixture of interest and fear at the powerful master and the boy lying before him.

"So I take it you're the assassin that Davis and Rana were talking about last evening?" Liev nodded shakily, unable to lie in the presence of the master's awesome power. He felt the power shift and Liev felt with an absolute certainty that he was about to die here, crushed by this monster who possessed power beyond anything he could imagine as easily as if he were little more than an insect under his boot.

"Well good thing you didn't actually harm any of them, or I might have been really angry." He said suddenly, and the terrifying power dissipated immediately as a broad smile broke out on the master's face. Liev heard himself make a confused grunt that sounded like it had come from a bovine, still in shock from the pressure displayed earlier.

"I guess it's a testament to how well the youth today are developing as mages if they're able to fend off an assassin without injury." He commented cheerily as he offered a hand to Liev, who remained on the ground, entirely unsure of what was going on.

"Well? Surely you don't intend on lying there all day, do you?" he asked inquisitively.

"I..." Liev started before stopping. Gildarts raised an eyebrow, then chuckled.

"Take it easy kiddo; I'm quite poor at holding back, which goes especially for my magic. Breathe, you'll get it out." He crouched low, still smiling kindly.

"I don't understand." Liev finally spoke, his voice softer than a whisper.

"What don't you understand?" the master of Fairy Tail asked him curiously, but there was a knowing in his eyes, it was almost like he could read Liev's mind – perhaps he was? He was one of the most powerful mages alive, surely it would be well within his already considerable abilities to reach into his mind and pluck his thoughts out.

"That boy..." he nodded stiffly towards the boy who had attacked him, who was rubbing his head, dazed while his mother applied bandages "he had good reason to attack me – I'm an enemy, I was supposed to kill one of your members. Sh– Yael told me to come here but I still don't..." he felt himself slip into an abyss of uncertainty "I don't understand why. I don't understand why you're so accepting." Gildarts seemed to ponder his words for a moment, then stood up over the prone boy.

"Well if we spent our time worrying about the past and holding onto old grudges it'd be an insult to everything that this guild was founded on. You've heard the saying 'today's enemy can become tomorrow's friend'. I think all the proof you'd need is that dark guy over there" he pointed to a tall man who sat in the corner making small talk with a short, blue-haired woman. His dark hair was almost as wild as Yael's, and was slicked back, leaving the strange studs on his face and his eerie red eyes completely visible.

"A time ago, that guy destroyed our old guild building and hurt a great many of our mages – one of them was that short girl hanging on his every word at this very moment. Honestly I don't think the Third ever forgave him for it but he still allowed him solace here when Natsu beat him and his old guild was destroyed." He paused, taking a moment to gaze absently at the chatting pair, his eyes clouded, as if he were recalling some past event before he snapped back into reality and turned back to Liev.

"I'd be doing the previous master a grave disservice if I didn't at least offer you a helping hand... Alright Rana I think you can stop now, I think I grasp the situation he's in." The look of pure confusion on Liev's face sent Gildarts into a fit of roaring laughter, when he calmed down he explained as he wiped a tear from his eyes.

"Sorry, Rana – one of Yael's fine young friends has been diving into your head and giving me info on your mission, your past, and this... worrying guild you were a part of until recently." Liev looked up to the second floor and saw one of the girls who had travelled with Yael yesterday – the one with the panther tattoo in the blue one-piece. She gave a wave and a wink, and Liev felt himself flush – he had precious little experience with girls save the occasional slaves he'd bumped into at the Guild, and they weren't particularly good conversationalists.

"I wasn't really one of them." Liev mumbled.

"I know" Gildarts stated kindly "If I'd suspected you were then we'd not be talking now." Liev felt himself shiver, feeling that this man likely meant every word said.

"Still... this is going to be an issue." The master of Fairy Tail muttered aloud.

"What is?" Liev asked.

"You can't use magic so you asked Yael to teach you..." he put a hand to his chin, his expression thoughtful "There's an inherent problem in that it's an extremely old magic, I'm not sure of the specifics but it was difficult even for her father to teach her. In addition to that; Yael's hardly the patient sort – which by all rights is what any teacher should be." Yael huffed behind him and muttered something under her breath that Liev couldn't make out; if he heard it then Gildarts paid it no heed.

"I'll teach you." Came a voice from above, it was that Rana girl, she was leaning over the railing on the second floor with an amused smile and a twinkle in her gold and blue eyes.

"Didn't I –" he began before she cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Like the master said – it's all in the past. Besides in case you hadn't guessed already I'm a telepath – I know you're not a bad guy." She said with a bright smile "Plus if I taught you some fire magic it'd be real helpful for Yael to have another power source if we go on another really tough job, telepathy might help with your combat skills too." Liev considered this, it made sense. After all if she was incapacitated or unable for another reason to call on her magic power if they went on a job to–

_Wait... why is she assuming I'll be tagging along with them?_ He thought, confused.

"I heard that! Better play nice or I'm not teaching you squat!" she called.

_I can tell already that this is going to be a pain._

"That too!"

_Goddamnit._

A giggle was all Liev heard in reply.

"Alright, done." The bar-maid – who Liev now recognised as Mirajane – raised the stamp from Liev's knuckles "It's a strange place to put the guild stamp though, not to mention a little awkward when applying it – are you sure you'd not like me to put it somewhere else?" she asked. Liev shook his head, gazing absently at the silver insignia that marked him out as a member of a mage's guild.

It was a strange feeling. Merely a day ago he'd been part of a guild on the opposite end of the law, drifting through the days since the Second died. Of course, looking back on it now Liev could understand that much of the long-dead master's good will was an act – one did not come to lead a guild like Night Reaper by playing nice – but Liev wondered if the Second had developed any sort of attachment to him during their time together. Probably not. He'd heard some of the guild members speak of 'family' now that the fighting had calmed down, the concept eluded him. His own family had died long ago, and his mind had been so clouded by drills and combat practice with the Second that he couldn't bring up faces or names. Did he have siblings?

He sighed and flexed his hand, and realised that Yael was standing next to him watching him like he was some kind of museum exhibit.

"Uh... you want something?" he asked.

"Not really. Grandpa Gildarts told me to give you a tour of the place so we can find you somewhere to live is all."

"Oh. Well, lead on then." Liev said, gesturing with an arm. Yael spun on a heel and sauntered out of the guild with Liev close behind.

"How about that one?" she asked. Liev checked the contract details and shook his head.

"100,000 jewels a night for _that?_ I don't think so." He said, dismissively.

"I concur." Abhainn chimed in.

"Oh, you're back? I thought you'd died again." Yael said as she examined the blade sheathed on Liev's back.

"Oh for the love of –" the spirit began but Liev cut her off.

"That's twice now. What is it that's got you so..." Liev paused, searching for a word "vexed?" he said, half hoping he'd used it in the right sense.

"Vexed? What time stream did you just stroll out of?" scoffed Abhainn and Liev felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He'd been taught a little by the Second but it was far from a decent education so he'd taken up reading in some of his spare time, Abhainn had told him he was getting better at it but the meanings of some words still escaped him.

"Answer the damn question." Liev huffed quietly.

"Hey! Listen to people when they're talking to you!" Yael bellowed as she threw a vicious blow at Liev's head, pummelling the boy into the ground. Liev groaned in pain and lifted his bruised face, fixing Yael with a dirty look.

"What was that for?" he asked as he wiped his nose on his sleeve, and cursed when he realised he was bleeding.

"You ignored me. I said 'what about this place?'" she pointed to another advert which outlined a small little home with two small rooms upstairs, a kitchen, a small living room and a downstairs and upstairs washroom. It looked pretty tiny, but Liev thought it seemed ideal for him – it wasn't like he really had much to unpack, and the precious little he did own was still at Night Reaper and could easily be replaced. To top it all off it was only 50,000 jewels a week; an absolute steal!

"Perfect." Liev whispered as he took in its location, it was slap bang in between Fairy Tail and the centre of town where the market stalls and shops were.

"Thanks Yael." He said appreciatively and the dragon-slayer gave him a toothy grin in reply.

"Ah, young love." Abhainn sighed, Liev rolled his eyes while Yael simply blinked, failing to understand the implication, to which the bound spirit gave an exasperated groan.

Taking the place had been much easier than he'd assumed it would be. Liev had heard many horror stories about getting started on property ladders and had feared he'd have to jump through a whole mess of hoops. To his surprise (and secret pleasure) the person renting the place out had been surprisingly willing to give him the keys, although he'd been insistent on taking the first deposit immediately – which had been a bit of a problem for Liev as he had precious little money of his own. Fortunately Yael had proven once more to be his guardian angel, and had generously provided the money provided that he worked with her team for his first few months, to which he had reluctantly accepted.

He lay back in bed as night began to fall, the room completely bare save for the lone bed and Abhainn which was propped against the wall next to the door to the en suite.

"What's on your mind?" he heard her ask.

"It's all so weird, how my life changed like this." He said absently as he raised his right hand and gazed over the silver tattoo on his knuckles. Why had he asked for it there? He didn't quite understand the strange request either. Was it to mark himself out from the rest? Or was it something else? He sighed and flopped his hand back onto the soft sheets of the bed in his home.

My _home. _He thought, dazedly. He glanced sidelong at Abhainn and chuckled lightly to himself.

_Hers too. _Thinking of his blade and the spirit bound within he felt a spark go off in his head.

"Hey" he called out to the sword "you never told me what had you so tongue-tied earlier today."

"Doesn't matter." The spirit replied serenely. Liev frowned in consternation; trying to coax information out of Abhainn was like trying to wade upstream in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Deciding after a few moments of internal debate that Abhainn was right and it probably didn't matter at present, Liev rolled onto his side and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Morning came easily for Liev, and as he opened his eyes he half-expected to feel Deglan's boot dig into his ribs as he berated him and demanded that he get himself up. Then he felt the fabric beneath him and jolted awake, instantly alert. Had he been captured in his sleep? Was he in a prison cell? Where was Abhainn? Was –

His panic abated as the previous day's events rushed back into his memory. He sat frozen for a moment before the ghost of a smile spread across his face.

_So it wasn't a dream... I really left. _He threw himself back down onto the bed – _his _bed – and released a contented sigh. His euphoric moment lasted all of a split-second before his eyes widened with the realisation of what he'd done.

_I left._

He jolted up and hopped out of bed, still fully clothed.

_I left._

His panic was back with a vengeance, but this one was on a whole different scale to the one he'd faced earlier.

_I left._

He dashed downstairs and looked outside. He felt himself almost collapse in relief when he saw that the city was still intact, maybe they'd not sent anyone yet, maybe they didn't even know where he was. He clutched the talisman that hung from his neck – the only memento of a family he couldn't remember and released his breath, finally aware that he'd held it since waking up.

"Enjoy it while you can traitor." A menacing voice, promising untold pain breathed from behind him.

Liev startled and ducked as a cruelly serrated hatchet passed over his head, severing a few hairs but leaving him otherwise untouched. Liev braced his legs and threw himself to the side as another hatchet crashed into the floor. He collided with the kitchen counter, knocking the wind from him, years of instincts honed by training with the most brutal of murderers kicked in and he tilted his head not a moment too soon as a throwing knife embedded itself into one of the cupboards.

"Not bad reflexes kid, I can see why the old Second kept you around." It was Ginrei, a slim, effete man in his early thirties with long, white hair and a nasty penchant for leaving the severed heads of his victims on their family's doorsteps. Brutal, and almost pointlessly sadistic, he was well-known for his skill in infiltration.

In an instant Ginrei lunged, Liev pulled the throwing knife from the cupboard door and brought it up to his neck, one of Ginrei's hatchet's slid off the tiny blade and Liev rolled back as the assassin brought his other weapon around in a wide arc that would have otherwise taken his head off. He felt a stab of pain and realised that Ginrei had dropped one of his hatchets and tossed another throwing knife, which was now buried in Liev's gut. He dropped to the ground on his back, shock and pain overpowering him as Ginrei loomed above, axes in hand and glowering in triumph.

"Master Malizer sends his regards. He told me just to take your head and be done with it but... well you know me. I like a bit more of a _show._" He enunciated as he casually placed his boot on the throwing knife and pressed down sharply. Liev gasped as he felt the knife sink deeper into his soft, yielding flesh. He felt his eyes roll into his skull and his strength fade, his head hit the ground with a dull thud and he took a laboured breath as Ginrei applied gradually more pressure.

"C'mon kid gimme something worth seeing already. The longer you keep the tough guy act up the more painful I'll make i–"

He was stopped as one of the store cupboards opened suddenly and crunched into the back of Ginrei's head, knocking him unconscious immediately. The man fell on top of Liev, who groaned as the sudden weight drove the blade deeper into his gut. He struggled, trying to get the assassin off of him but he was too weak from shock.

"Hm? What?" a sleepy voice intoned from the cupboard. Liev felt his eyes almost hop out of their sockets as Yael stepped out. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around, finally resting her eyes on Liev and the unconscious Ginrei.

"Liev?" she asked, confused. Liev tried to talk but found his voice had left with his strength, so he did the only thing he felt he could achieve at all in this situation.

He passed out.

Hushed voices greeted Liev as he drifted back into reality. He became aware first that he was still at home, and that he didn't feel like complete crap. He jolted up and felt only a dull ache where before there had been piercing, white hot agony. He also became aware that there were other people in his house. Yael, the telepath Rana who had said she was going to teach him magic, the armour-girl from Liev's first encounter with Yael, and an angelic woman with long, flowing dark blue hair in a backless dress. A white cat in a dress with a strangely contemptuous expression sat on her shoulder with its arms crossed.

_Okay, looks like I've still got a bit of a way to go before I completely recover._

"Hey, how you feeling?" Yael asked him casually. Liev paused, feeling the area around his wound, finding that someone had bandaged him up.

"Uh, better. Yeah." He said, his voice was croaky "How long have I been out?" he asked.

"Only an hour." Rana chirped. Liev stared in astonishment.

"Really? Then how –?" he was unable to finish as he tried to process everything that had happened to him.

"Aunt Wendy healed you with her Sky Magic." Yael answered. The woman gave a friendly smile; the cat on her shoulder gave a 'hmph' and turned its head to the side.

_Yeah, definitely lost too much blood. _Liev thought to himself grimly.

"Right. Uh... thanks."

"Not a problem." The woman replied warmly "A friend of Yael's is a friend of mine." Liev looked at Wendy, then at Yael, then back to Wendy.

_They don't look related even a little bit. Oh well, maybe it's like her relationship with the Master._

"So..." Liev began, his voice regaining its former lustre "Where's Ginre– the guy who attacked me?" he asked.

"I beat him up and the others tied him up not that long ago. He's downstairs and we're gonna bring him to the guild later before we hand him over to the Council." Yael answered nonchalantly. The armour-girl at the back perked up.

"You know that man?" she asked, curious, but with a hint of accusation.

"Yeah. He came from the assassin's guild I left when I failed to ki – when I joined you guys." He saw the girl's eyes narrow, but she said nothing more, and glanced at Rana.

"He's telling the truth Alicia. Jeez that sounds like a pretty nasty guy." Liev flushed as he realised the girl was invading his head again.

_Really wish she'd not do that._

"I like seeing your reaction." She said teasingly, a Cheshire grin forming across her lips before she dropped it almost as soon as it appeared.

"By the way don't think you're getting out of your lesson today just because you got a scratch like that." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I wanna come too! I didn't get to fight him one-on-one the first time!" Yael piped up excitedly. Rana breathed an amused sigh and raised her arms in surrender.

"Alright but don't tire him out too much, he'll need his strength for what I'm gonna teach him."

Liev groaned to himself and flopped back onto his bed. He felt tired and wanted nothing more than to drop off to sleep. He felt two sets of arms take hold of him and hoist him up and out of his bed.

"Hey come on, I wanna see what you've got." Yael exclaimed, a twinkle in her eyes that made Liev nervous the longer he stared.

"Come on, they say the best time to learn is in the morning when you're well-rested." Rana explained as she helped him up. She too had an uncomfortable glint in her eyes. The armour-girl, Alicia, rolled her eyes and, barely concealing her amused smirk, took her leave. Wendy too left soon after, along with the cat on her shoulder, Liev fervently hoped that particular hallucination would leave when he got his strength back. He glanced at Rana and Yael who were chatting animatedly as Liev put a spare shirt on – a piece of merchandise from a concert he'd seen years back during his free time.

_However long that might be. _He thought hopelessly. Rana raised a brow and released another soft giggle that made Liev flush as he realised she had once again probed into his thoughts.

"This is going to be... interesting." Liev muttered under his breath.

"Not half as interesting as what those girls have got planned for you." Abhainn replied with an edge of amusement. Liev looked at the blade like it had grown a head.

"You telling me you can read minds now?" he asked, incredulous.

"No, they were talking about it while you were still out." She replied and Liev breathed a heavy sigh.

Taking the exquisite blade by the hilt, he took his midnight cloak and threw it on, ignoring Rana's wolf-whistle and sheathed the blade on his back, turning to the two mages.

"Alright." He spoke, with an edge of finality "Let's see what you two have got for me then."#

**And there ends the second chapter.**

**Read and review would be appreciated, even more so if you tell me what you think is wrong with it or how I could improve it. As I said in the first chapter; it's you guys I write this for.**


	3. Beatdowns Break Ins & Personal Vendettas

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Three: Of Beatdowns, Break-ins and Personal Vendettas**

The earth exploded, throwing Liev into the air.

"She's good." Abhainn murmured appreciatively.

Liev bared his teeth in frustration and brought the blade up as Yael tore through the sky and threw a blow that would certainly have knocked him senseless had it connected. As it was, her blazing fist crunched into Abhainn and such was the force behind it that he felt his arm jar from the impact. He deftly swapped hands and turned aside Yael's punch, though doing so forced him off balance and he felt himself plummet towards the ground. With mere seconds to react he threw his weight back, delivering a swift flip kick to Yael's chin and giving him an almost perfect landing posture, Yael too managed to recover and landed on all fours, a predatory smile on her face.

"**Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" **bellowed Yael as she ignited her left fist, closing the distance between the pair with a speed that caught Liev completely off guard. Unable to bring Abhainn up in defence, he threw himself to the side, feeling the hairs on his cheeks sizzle as an arc of fire passed him.

"You know I really think you'd do better without calling your attacks." Liev shouted at her as he held Abhainn two-handed in a low defensive stance, bracing himself as Yael charged at him again. She leapt into the air and spun, twisting her hips mid-air and thrusting a leg out which Liev ducked. Spotting an opening he brought Abhainn through the air and batted the Dragon Slayer with the flat of the blade, knocking her to the ground where she lay unmoving.

Liev felt a brief moment of elevation as he lowered Abhainn and began sucking air in, their sparring session had gone on for nearly ten minutes and Liev was very tired. He'd never been blessed with particularly great stamina and he recalled the words of the Second Master of Night Reaper.

'_You can't fight for too long but you're a vicious little brat. The first minute will be crucial for you; if you drag it out any longer you'll tire and either have to call off the hunt or die.'_

He'd lasted ten times that amount and he felt immensely proud for that. He gazed at the girl lying before him; she'd brought this out of him, this desire to win above all else that he'd never once felt before. He felt the corners of his lips rise and felt he should offer some words to his bested partner. He planted Abhainn in the ground and strolled towards her, offering a hand.

"Hey. Good session." He said, panting heavily. Yael stirred lightly and took his hand –

– and Liev knew he'd made a fatal mistake.

_Clever girl._

"**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"** the next five seconds were some of the most agonising moments of Liev's life. The wind was knocked from him entirely and Liev felt his consciousness slip as he collided with a tree, his head whipping into the solid bark. He saw Rana emerge from the undergrowth and Yael standing over him fixing him a curious, but triumphant, look. Then all was black.

"Listen up Liev. Today marks the tenth anniversary of your birth. For most, that means gifts or celebrations. None of that for you my boy, though I don't think some cake would go amiss."

He was staring at a man almost three times his height; his face was almost completely concealed by the wildest grey hair Liev had ever seen on a man. He was the leader of one of the most frightening guilds in the nation and could lay claim to a body count that even rumours could not do justice to. To Liev though, there was an undeniable aura of warmth around him as he reached behind him and handed the magnificent weapon to him almost reverently.

"Now listen well lad, because that blade has an exquisite history behind it. It's said that an ancient, and powerful mage sealed the spirit of a mystical beast inside that very weapon, and that it can turn aside even the foulest of enchantments like parting air." He paused, taking a breath "The name of the weapon is _Fielhammer_. Funnily enough the name comes from the same place I found you. It means 'Fell Hammer'." He said wondrously, and Liev stared in awe at the weapon that was so heavy it was all he could do to keep it up.

"Oh great. Another gawking child who'll probably do nothing more than swing me around a few times before leaving me on a rack for some poncy rapier." a voice intoned drearily. Liev felt himself freeze before staring at the blade with renewed wonder.

"H-hello?" he asked. The Second raised a brow and peered at Liev.

"What is it lad?" it wasn't a question.

"Oh my word are you telling me you can actually _hear_ me?" the voice – definitely female – asked again.

"Yes. I can. Can't... can't anyone else?" Liev asked curiously. The Master now seemed incredulous but he continued to watch.

"Oh good heavens above it has been _so _long since I've had a conversation! I thought I was going to go mad before too long, cooped up in this wretched weapon. By the way did that big old coot just call me a 'beast'?" she asked. Liev tried to conceal his humour at hearing the Master called a 'coot'. He nodded ever so slightly, biting his lip to prevent himself from bursting out laughing.

"Well now that's just rude. I'll have you know that you are speaking to one of the noblest creatures that ever walked this world."

"What's that?" Liev asked; he wanted to know more about this spirit.

"A _fairy!_ Ignorant child. Are you unaware of this world's history?" Liev glanced at the floor sheepishly and felt his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

"Oh well, no matter. I suppose it has probably been a considerable time since we walked among your kind. I barely remember the last time I saw one myself." She muttered.

"Oh, that's right, I'm Liev, Liev Eiskufe." He said, remembering his manners.

"Contrary to what your old friend here told you, my name's Abhainn. Nice to see that you've got some manners at least. I'm not even going to bother telling you what my last owner was like." She said with what sounded a disgusted shudder.

"Boy." The Second intoned, commanding Liev's full attention.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked.

"She's speaking to me." Liev answered honestly "She says her name's Abhainn."

"What?" the Second yelled, utterly flabbergasted.

"I'msorrybutitsthetruth!" Liev squeaked, unused to hearing the towering assassin raise his voice.

"No, no I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just... surprised." The Second apologised, eyeing the blade curiously.

"Abhainn?" he muttered under his breath, pondering the name. The aged master shook his head and turned swiftly on his heel, beckoning for Liev to follow.

"Well I guess this makes us a team then." Liev chirped happily to Abhainn.

"I guess so." Abhainn stated matter-of-factly.

"Want to be friends?" Liev asked, silently praying he didn't sound too hopeful.

"I figured you didn't have any friends. Why else would you be hanging around that lug?" the bound spirit sighed aloud. "Well if you're the only company I'm going to have until you finally kick the bucket I suppose we might as well get along. Hey, want to hear a joke? I was quite the comedian before I was sealed in this thing and I've had an awful lot of time to practice."

"Sure." Liev replied.

"Okay, so a mage walks into a..."

_I remember. I got a lot of strange looks that day. That one still cracks me up. Explosives. Heh._

"Hey. Wakey wakey." Liev felt a tap on his forehead and blinked rapidly. His vision was blurred but he could tell there wasn't much light.

_How long have I been out _this_ time?_ He wondered idly as he felt a soothing coolness spread across his head.

"Pretty much most of the day." He heard a voice answer "Yael says she's sorry and that she had a lot of fun, and that she'd like to do it again sometime soon... hopefully not _too_ soon or I'm not going to be able to teach you squat." The girl said ruefully.

It could only have been Rana and gazing up; he found that his intuition was dead on the money as he took in the panther tattoo on her cheek.

_Wonder where she got that._

"A present from my old guild." She answered in response to his thought. Liev raised an eyebrow.

_Another one like me? _Rana shot him a dirty look.

"No. I came from a _legitimate_ guild. It was... destroyed a long time ago. Fairy Tail saved some of us but not all. The master and most of the others... well, you know." Her voice lowered as she recalled some harrowing memories.

_Why didn't they reform? Surely they could have. _Liev thought, he felt too beat to bother speaking, and if he was being perfectly honest he felt he could get used to conversations like these.

"The Guild was burnt to the ground along with more than half the town it guarded. The master, his apprentice and even _his _apprentice were all killed in the attack. We had no one who could compare to them left and all our records went up with the building. It was counted a miracle that any of us survived at all; twenty one mages from a guild that numbered almost a hundred and fifty." Her eyes glazed over as she recollected the horrific attack, though one particular memory painted a smile on her face.

"Yael saved me. I was angry; I wanted revenge so I just went for the bastard who took our master's head and I rushed in..." she sat down next to Liev – who realised he was propped up against a tree (likely the same one Yael had propelled him into) – and leant her head against the bark "The guy barely even looked at me when he knocked me down, I got up and kept getting up but I couldn't get close to the guy. He was about to put me down then and there and then she came tearing out of the air and knocked him flat with one punch." She sighed.

"I wanted to be like her. Still do, kind of. She's got strength unlike anything I've ever seen and from what everyone tells me her dad is something else completely..." she trailed off, her gaze a thousand miles away "More than that though, she's got this... I dunno how to describe it but she _inspires _people, like..." she paused, blinked once and shook her head.

"Sorry, I've been going on about things that you probably don't even care about."

_Don't be. I asked – kind of._ Liev felt himself grin despite the strain it placed on his chest, which felt like someone had taken a couple of sledgehammers to it. He heard Rana release a soft chuckle.

"I knew you were a good guy. Don't know what you were doing with an Assassin's guild but I'm glad you're out of it." She stretched her arms and got to her feet before extending an arm to Liev.

"Come on, I told you that you're learning magic starting today and we at Fairy Tail are no liars."

_I'm still pretty beat-up. Can't you give me another minute or two? _He silently pleaded to Rana, who folded her arms and raised a brow.

"Rest is a luxury we mages don't have if we want to learn magic. Hell when I was still practicing there were times I felt like my whole body was about to come apart." She explained casually.

_Funnily enough I feel like I'd do just that if I stood up. _Liev thought to himself darkly, then he remembered who exactly was standing in front of him, though the girl merely chuckled.

"Stop being so melodramatic and get up; I'd like to see you master at least one incantation before we head back."

_I swear I'd heard it takes years of practice to get even one spell right._

"Oh that's just a silly exaggeration it doesn't take _nearly _that long." Rana said dismissively as she pulled Liev to his feet, who squirmed visibly as he felt his bruised ribs shift. If Rana noticed his discomfort she didn't make note of it, though she flashed him a predatory smirk.

"How long exactly have you been a mage?" Liev asked his voice croaky and hoarse.

"It speaks at last." Rana spoke with a cheeky grin.

"You know if I didn't know any better I'd almost say she's taken a shine to you." Abhainn murmured absently. Liev rolled his eyes in reply and Rana turned her head towards him in surprise.

"Your weapon talks?" she asked, curiously. Liev was only mildly surprised she hadn't commented on the topic the blade had brought up.

"Here we go again." Abhainn sighed.

"Yes she does." Liev answered honestly. Rana leaned forwards, peering at the weapon at Liev's side.

"She? Interesting..." the mage spoke softly, as if in deep thought. This state did not last long, and she quickly turned her attention back to Liev.

"Well you'll have to introduce us as we learn. Not sure if you've noticed but it's starting to get dark already and I told my roommate I'd make her dinner in..." she brought out a timepiece from a pocket, checked it, and cursed "Now... Damnit." She stowed the device away and turned sharply on her heel before taking off.

"Sorry! I know I said we'd do this today but this is really important!" she shouted back at Liev as she disappeared, leaving a rather confused pair behind her.

"Well..." Abhainn started.

"Yeah." Liev finished for the spirit. "Let's just go home. I feel like I really am about to fall apart."

"Lead on." Chirped Abhainn.

"Heh. Funny." Liev muttered to himself, though he let the smirk take his face; after the ungodly amount of pain he'd suffered at the hands of the young Dragon Slayer he felt he could use something to smile about.

The journey home took slightly less than half an hour, it should have been a third that, but Yael's brutal assault during their sparring session had taken them quite a way into the forest. Liev opened his door and shut it with a sigh. The sun was lowering on the horizon, painting the city with a beautiful, calming orange glow. As he stared Liev realised he'd never really stopped to take notice of little things like this; so constant, yet still awe-inspiring. He'd never tried his hand at painting but at that particular moment he would have liked nothing more than a sheet of paper, a brush and some colours so that he could forever capture this moment.

He heard Abhainn take a breath, about to speak (which was strange seeing how she didn't really need to breathe as such) but a sudden smash stopped her. Liev wheeled around, Abhainn in a vice-like grip.

_Another assassin? That was certainly fast, I'm not sure whether to be touched or impressed._

"Good reflexes." Abhainn said appreciatively. Liev shushed her, he needed all his senses alert if there was another assassin in his new home.

No one came from the kitchen area, or the living room, or from upstairs. Liev sighed and steeled his nerves; he was going to have to do this the hard way.

"Try the kitchen" Abhainn suggested, with a degree of certainty to her voice.

"Alright. Here we go again huh partner?"

"Seems that way doesn't it. You want to hear a quick joke before... No? Alright; after this then."

"That's rather optimistic thinking there." Liev noted dryly.

"Well if the guy's sloppy enough to make that much of a racket when he's trying to kill you how good can they be?" Abhainn replied. Liev inclined his head; she made a good point, though humans made mistakes – even the experts – though in Liev's experience they tended kill to keep ita secret.

He took a breath and forced himself to bring himself into his combat state of mind.

_I am the dagger in the twilight. I am the viper in the grass. I am the poison on the spear tip. I am a Reaper of the Night._

Years of practice and ruthless, brutal training flowed through him. Liev felt his limbs grow lighter, more limber, he could make out every tiny detail from his current view of the kitchen; the light coating of dust that had settled on the tiles in Liev's absence, the flaking white paint on the wall next to the only window, the patterns of wooden cupboards and how they danced along the surface. The days before he was uncertain, tired, unaware, and not a little complacent; now he was ready, and he was determined. He'd found what could well be a much better life than the one he'd left behind scant days ago, the very same person who he had tried to kill had befriended him and through her, Liev was certain he'd only have the pleasure of making even more as time went on.

He would be damned to a thousand years of torment if some poor excuse for an assassin thought she could make off with _his _head here and now, with her hateful pink hair and those despicable coal eyes and the strangely familiar –

_Wait..._

He felt the world – previously so distant – rush back and fill his senses and he stumbled, Abhainn cracked against the floor as he fought momentarily for his balance, cracking a few of the tiles.

"Hi." Said Yael Dragneel, her voice muffled by the sandwich in her mouth.

Liev stabbed an arm out and caught hold of the kitchen counter, managing to stabilise himself before he embarrassed himself. He sputtered for a moment like a dying engine before rubbing a hand through his hair and calming himself down.

"What..." he started, his tone precarious, and almost threatening "are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Eating." The Dragon Slayer replied simply, taking another bite of her meal "Sorry but I think I broke something while I was making it." She apologised through her mouthful and pointed to a smashed pot. Liev shrugged it off – it wasn't like he'd actually put anything in there, but he moved on quickly to the more pressing situation.

"Do you have any idea how close I came to cutting your head off?" Liev asked her, his voice pained.

"That a challenge or something?" she quirked a brow "Cause I'll have to finish eating first – Mom said you shouldn't fight on an empty stomach or if you're still eating a meal..." she tilted her head thoughtfully "Though dad did it plenty of times..." Yael hummed and glanced back at Liev, then at her sandwich, back to Liev, then her sandwich again before wolfing it down in a matter of seconds and wiping the crumbs from her mouth.

"Alright. All good." She said as she chomped away "Let's have another one then." She said as she raised her fists in a fighting stance.

"No that's not – !" Liev propped Abhainn against a wall and ran his hands down his face, releasing a frustrated groan.

"Alright, forget it. Just... how did you get in?" He asked, wincing at the desperate tone he used.

Yael pointed up.

"Upstairs? Okay what, you guys leave a window open before we went out?" he asked. Yael shook her head.

"No. I unlocked it myself." She answered as if it were the most natural thing in the universe.

"Good looking, good fighter _and _she can work a lock. Now if only you knew seal magic..." Abhainn murmured, impressed. Yael flashed a toothy grin at the blade.

"I thought you said you'd gotten over that phase." Liev asked the spirit.

"Eh. Never hurts to ask, magic's come a long way since the time me and my kind walked the earth with you." Liev could almost imagine the spirit shrug. Yael eyed the blade curiously.

"What do you mean 'me and my kind'?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, you don't know yet. Sorry, been kinda caught up with all that's happened in the last day."

"That's an understatement and a half." Abhainn commented. Liev shot the blade a brief glance and chuckled lightly.

"Alright so, basically Abhainn here's a spirit bound to the blade – that you know right?" Yael nodded "Right, so she says that before this happened –"

"What do you mean 'she says'? It's true!" Abhainn interrupted indignantly. Ignoring her, Liev continued.

"She was a Fairy. Powerful one."

"Was? Still am you witless child." Abhainn bristled.

"You certainly haven't looked it for some time so forgive me if I'm a little unclear on things." Liev retorted.

"Wow." Yael whispered softly to herself, but in the confined kitchen she might well have shouted it. The two ceased bickering and turned their attention towards the girl.

"A real fairy..." A thought appeared to come to her, for her face lit up suddenly.

"Hey, did you know the first Master of our Guild? Her name was... Uhh... Um..." she struggled with her memories before reluctantly conceding defeat "I forget, but she was a fairy too. Dad says she and mom and the Fourth and Grandpa Gildarts and a load of others met her when they did the S-Class exam and fought a bunch of bad guys and a dragon, and the whole island exploded but it didn't _really _explode and then –" She was silenced when Liev put a hand over her mouth, muffling her entirely.

"Another time." Liev told her tiredly.

"Sorry girl but no name, no details? Can't tell you whether or not I knew this Master or not."

"Well, it's getting a bit late. Me? I think I'm going to make myself something quick to eat – with whatever you've _not _stolen – and get some shuteye. You can... I dunno, go do whatever it is you do at this sort of time." Liev spoke, barely stifling a yawn.

"Why?" Yael asked him.

"Oh don't bother girl; he's like a crotchety old man when he's tired." Abhainn explained drearily. Liev ignored the spirit for the second time that day.

"Look, sorry, but I'm really tired and if you recall you did a real number on me earlier today." Liev felt his hand drift to his abdomen – which had begun aching almost as soon as he'd realised it was Yael who had infiltrated his home.

"But I thought we could hang out." She said, sounding almost upset. The dejected tone of voice she used threw Liev for a loop.

"Well, sorry... Hey wait, can't you do this with your other friends from the Guild?" he asked.

"Naw. Davis lives with his parents and I don't like intruding on their hospitality."

_Doesn't seem like you've got much issue intruding on mine._ Liev thought to himself.

"Rana's doing something with her roommate."

_Alright fair enough, she told me herself._

"And Alicia said..." she trailed off.

"Actually I don't know what Alicia said. She just muttered something and took off." Yael scratched her chin thoughtfully.

"That's only three out of... I don't know, a hundred or something? Why me?" Liev asked, not so much curious as desperate for an answer so that she'd leave.

"Because you're the new guy. Grandpa Gildarts says we should always give newcomers a special welcome." She answered honestly. He sighed in frustration.

"Well I'm very thankful you're taking that so seriously, shows great dedication and all but I really would like to get to sleep." Liev wished he'd turned away as he'd spoken because the look of sheer dejection on Yael's face was eating at him like a virus.

_Don't give in. Do. Not. Give. In. Don't think about giving in. Don't even think about not giving in. You are above guilt you've seen much much worse back in your old Guild. Think back to that and you'll get through it._

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Liev thought back to the slaves – many of them young women or girls – that Night Reaper took. Usually one of the members merely brought back a woman – or man – as a toy for the night and forgot about them the next morning, by which time they were doomed to a life little better than that of vermin.

_No. Worse. At least a rat can call its fleas its own._

He remembered seeing the debauchery that some of Night Reaper indulged in daily, the tears from the traumatised women, and that longing to... Liev didn't know. He wanted to embrace them, tell them that their trial would be over soon, defend them, give them something, anything to give them even a modicum of hope for the future.

But he couldn't. So he sat in the far end of the dark hall and merely watched as flesh writhed and quivered, as blood and sweat ran in rivulets down beaten, naked bodies and mingled on the cold, stone floor in a putrid concoction. He hated that Guild. The Second had the decency to ask the members to take their fetishes and their partners into private quarters – and many of those were filled at most times of the day. Ein Malizer had changed all of that. The brutality and perversion that had been so carefully concealed spilled out like water bursting through a dam.

_I made a vow to myself that I'd never be like them. I'd kill, and I'd do my bit. But I would never lower myself to their level. I'd point Abhainn at my own throat if I did._

Liev tore his mind away from that awful place. He tried not to remember the way it had made him feel like absolute crap merely sitting there. The pained cries and meek voices of broken individuals who would likely have gone on to lead much better lives had it not been for the wandering eye of some of the lowest scum of the earth.

He couldn't do anything then, much as he wanted to – he was just one guy, not even properly initiated yet. Granted he knew for a fact that he could mop the floor with more than half of the assorted villainy that gathered in the Guild. But then half would be more than enough to see him gutted and his head on a spike as a warning.

A thought occurred to him then, and he mentally kicked himself again and again for not realising it sooner.

He couldn't do anything to help those people then – he'd explained as much to himself many times simply so he could deal with it all. But now he was part of Fairy Tail – an entire Mages Guild with backup from all the other Magic Guilds and the Magic Council who regulated the official guilds. It'd take some convincing (or perhaps none at all) but he could find a way to right the wrongs of Night Reaper.

But would that really be alright? It was his former Guild – even if he'd never really been an official part of it – he deserved to see its destruction himself. And then there was Ein Malizer – Liev wanted that particular pleasure himself, his pride would allow for nothing less. At the moment though Liev knew he'd not last even five seconds against the Third. He needed to be stronger – he needed magic on his side when he finally enacted his mission. He prayed for the varied servants at Night Reaper to hold onto themselves a little while longer and, with fresh conviction flaring up within him, straightened and looked at Yael – who was leaving through the kitchen window.

"Hey." He called, all fatigue forgotten.

"You know I think you can stay round a little longer if you want." He said, feeling even greater warmth at the grin Yael displayed as she hopped back into the kitchen and shut the window. The pair sat down at the small table, Liev grabbed some meat and bread and various other foodstuffs and set them all out on the table.

As the hours went by with the two (plus Abhainn) chatting and laughing at Yael's antics or a particularly good joke told by Abhainn, Liev reflected on himself. He felt good; better than good. He had a mission – a purpose.

Live or die; by his hand Night Reaper – and Ein Malizer along with it – would fall.

**Aaaand bam. Happy New Year folks and a (very much belated) Merry Christmas to all of you. I have finally finished my first batch of university assignments and shit, I figured it had been too long since I did any writing on anything I **_**really **_**wanted to. So here we are, or more accurately; here **_**you **_**are seeing how you're the bunch reading this.**

**Props to all of you who read it. Extra thanks to those kind enough to leave a review. Even more thanks to those who tell me exactly what they think of this and how I might go about improving it in the future (though I'll tell you now that pairing suggestions will be ignored outright; I have no toleration for 'hardcore shippers').**

**Thanks again for reading, and I hope you all have a good one.**


	4. Mr Grim

**I make no apologies for the fact it took me so long to write this. I got my own life and my own issues to sort out. I'll get it done, just not at a consistent rate; **_**never**_** at a consistent rate.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter 4: Mr Grim**

"Not bad." Rana said appreciatively "I reckon only about a hundred more years and you'll be able to do more than light a candle."

Liev sighed dejectedly, cutting his magic flow and watching as the pitiful flame that burned in his hand died instantly. He felt his arm tingle as the spell ended and flexed his hand.

"I knew this'd be too much." He muttered to himself.

"Oh stop being such a wuss." Abhainn chimed derisively "Most people don't even get thatfar with an incantation on their twenty-first try, be proud."

"Your talking sword's right" Rana confirmed, hearing the conversation through Liev's thoughts as per usual "though some more effort wouldn't hurt either." She said with a wry grin.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go onto telepathy I'm better at that." Liev suggested, and Rana sighed.

"You keep doing things you're familiar with and you'll never learn some of the finer aspects of magic." She noted.

"Spoken like a sage... Or someone much older." Abhainn murmured, Liev chuckled and Rana shot Liev a dirty look.

"Hey I didn't say anything. Anyway I'm more of an up close and personal fighter. I'm fast, I'm strong and my reflexes are good. If I know what an enemy will do before he does it then I don't really need fire magic – or any magic for that matter."

"Not the point Liev" Rana scolded, shaking her head dismissively "knowing a wide range of spells and incantations will help out in almost any situation. You know what they say; variety is the spice of life."

"And I recall an old saying 'I fear the one kick you've practised a thousand times, not the thousand kicks you've practised once." Liev felt himself wince as he recited the quote; it was a poor counter at best.

"Who says you're going to be practising these 'thousand kicks' only once?" Rana replied with a sadistic grin "I'm gonna run you ragged mister."

The next few weeks – as one might imagine – were difficult for Liev.

Every so often his sessions with Rana would have to be cancelled as she went on jobs with her friends, Yael, Alicia and Davis, the latter of which still regarded Liev with suspicion on the best of circumstances, and outright distaste on the worst. Liev didn't hold it against him; he'd been sent to kill one of his friends and belonged to an organisation whose morality was almost polar opposite to Fairy Tails'. If someone joined Night Reaper under similar circumstances, he'd be suspicious too...

_Wait, no I wouldn't._

Night Reaper attracted the worst kind of dishonourable killers. To some new recruits the place was much more liberal as far as internal rules and regulations were concerned; don't mess with the boss, don't talk back to the boss, don't disobey the boss, keep it down when the boss is sleeping and if you don't like it you take it up with the boss. It was simple, easy to remember, and gave free reign to some of the most depraved acts Liev had witnessed in his life.

He turned his thoughts away from Night Reaper and to the brawl that was taking place in the centre of the Guild. One guilder had ingested far more alcohol than he could reasonably withstand and made fun of a colleague's prowess. He was now paying for it – as was his assailant who had accidentally slugged another guilder – and so the cycle had continued until roughly half the guild were embroiled in a bitter scrap that showed no signs of halting any time soon.

Liev watched the display as one might watch a flock of ducks fight over breadcrumbs, a beerstein in his hand, every so often he'd take a sip.

"They allow minors to drink in dark guilds?" a voice called from his left. Turning, he saw that he had been addressed by the crimson eyed Elias Galahad, who Liev knew only by his love life – or lack of it – being that he had the hots for one Asuka Connell and seemed unable to spit it out. What only made it more tragic was that everyone who had a pair of functioning eyes could see the feeling was reciprocated. Liev didn't know the whole story but apparently Asuka's parents had gone through similar hurdles before they ended up together (though exactly who had proposed to who appeared to change each time Liev heard the tale).

Liev wasn't sure whether he wanted to silently cheer them on or cringe every time they held another awkward, stilted conversation when they were just talking with one another.

Other than his love troubles though, Liev supposed Elias was a decent enough guilder, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to play nice with the guild outside of Yael and Rana.

"Yeah. Anyone who was a member – even an uninitiated like me – was allowed at the bar," Liev grinned wryly "of course whether or not it wasn't some kind of piss was a different story entirely."

Elias chuckled, and Liev took in his golden hair and the three studs in his left eyebrow. He was one of the more easily recognisable members of the Guild owing to his leather brown trench coat which stretched all the way down to his ankles. How exactly he managed not to trip over it considering he used a combination of Speed and Mass magic Liev wasn't sure.

"That's quite a statement considering you're…?"

"Sixteen." Liev answered matter-of-factly, regretting answering almost immediately as he noticed the white-haired bartender Mirajane shoot him a dirty look before swiping his drink away from him. Elias burst out laughing while Liev groaned inwardly.

"Oh stop. You should be thanking the girl; alcohol dulls your reflexes and kills your brain. My kind proved it aeons ago; I'm surprised your species hasn't figured it out yet."

"We know. We just don't care." Liev muttered.

"Hm?" Elias perked up, his laughing fit having ended.

"Nothing."

"Right, right." Elias scratched the back of his head awkwardly for a moment "Uh, sorry about that by the way… I think."

"Right… How exactly did you know I was a minor? She bought it when I told her I was nineteen." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Mirajane, who was busy serving another few guilders.

"Kid, I come from a place where observation is just as important as your skill as a mage," come to think of it, Liev thought he'd heard that Elias supposedly came from the same place Alzack and Bisca migrated from "Your eyes was probably what fooled her. Don't get me wrong you're pretty tall for a kid your age and in just about any establishment you'd probably get away with just lying through your teeth. But your eyes… they tell me you've seen some stuff you really wish you hadn't. Let me tell you there's relatively few mages here who don't have that look in their eyes."

He paused for a moment, screwing open and taking a brief swig from a hip flask.

"On the other hand; the way you carry yourself is no different to that of the younger members here. Anyone could pick up on it, just no one focuses for long enough to realise it."

"Except you?" Liev asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Except me." Elias said with a smirk. Seeing the look Liev was giving him he sighed. "Hey, I'm a damn good mage. I know it, everyone here knows it. If you can't take pride in what you can do then it doesn't matter what kind of magic you use; you'll never get anywhere." He looked like he was considering taking another glug from his flask before deciding against it and screwing the cap back on before concealing it back underneath his expansive coat.

"What are you guys talking about?" Elias stiffened noticeably – was that a bead of sweat Liev saw rolling down his face?

It could only have been Asuka Connell herself, and if the state she was in was any indication it had taken her a great amount of her courage just to walk over and say hello. She was probably thanking the gods that there was somebody else – even if it was the newcomer from the Dark Guild – to make things less awkward for her.

"Um. Hi Asuka… I was just talking to the new guy." He sounded nothing like he had been mere moments ago; confident of himself, his abilities, and ready to take on anything. It was almost sad to see the degeneration of this powerful man, and the woman he talked to.

"If I have a front row seat to this train wreck I think I'm going to cry." Abhainn thought aloud.

"Tell me about it." Liev replied quietly before getting up from his barstool.

"Well Mr. Galahad…" Elias turned back to him and, for a moment, his cool, confident persona re-emerged.

"We're comrades kid. It's Elias." He flashed a smile and Liev noticed Asuka's face turn a shade of red. Then of course Elias turned back to the source of his affections and Liev once more found he no longer had the will to watch.

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks," he paused awkwardly for a moment "Elias." And with that, he left for a less noticeable place to sit, wincing as he heard Elias remark – with a stutter – on how nice the weather outside was.

He'd sat down for no longer than a minute when who should enter the guild but Yael and her team. Yael caught a glimpse of Liev and gave him a friendly wave before rolling her shoulders and leaping into the brawl, entirely disregarding her frantic friend in armour Alicia, who gave up trying to restrain her and simply called for her not to use her magic.

Davis stalked off after giving an amused shake of his head at his teammates antics; he looked like he was chatting with Master Gildarts. Curious.

Rana gave him a friendly wave before strolling over to him and taking a seat opposite him.

"You look unhappy." She stated.

"My drink got taken."

"Your fault for lying about your age. You know alcohol kills brain cells and dulls your reaction times right?"

"I told you." Abhainn said smugly, and Liev could easily picture her with a self-satisfied grin splitting her face.

_If I knew what she looked like._

"What who looks like?" Rana asked curiously. Liev simply motioned to the blade on his back and the girl nodded in understanding.

"Aww is little Liev crushing on little old me?" Abhainn teased.

_In your dreams._ Rana chuckled and curled a lock of her bark brown hair.

"Yeah it's brown. What about it?" Rana asked; a mischievous glint in her eyes. Liev groaned to himself.

_They can't even talk to each other and they're ganging up on me; must be some sort of female hive-mind._

"You know what? I think I'm just gonna go home if it's alright with you guys. There's not really much point in me being here if – " he was cut off as something collided with him, blocking his vision.

_What is it now?_ He groaned.

"Hey Livi I found a job we could all go on!" The voice told him it was Yael, and after some manoeuvring he realised to his chagrin that he'd had his face buried in her chest. Yael however looked not the least bit flustered, seeming as cheerful and carefree as ever.

Trying his best to reign in his rapidly wandering thoughts – not least because the girl sitting across from him had no issue blurting out whatever he was thinking – Liev shook his head, eyeing Rana suspiciously for a moment. The corner of her lip twitched in an amused smile, and she had raised a brow as if to say she knew exactly what was going through Liev's mind.

_Oh what the hell am I saying she always knows._

"You're learning." She said, the smirk still not leaving her face.

"Sure whatever." Liev dismissed before turning back to Yael "and my name's _Liev,_ not Livi! Do you forget everyone's name?"

"She has a habit of forgetting them for the first month or so after meeting a person." Rana admitted. Yael harrumphed and folded her arms, spending a moment sulking like a small child before remembering her purpose.

"Oh yeah. Job! I found this on the board while I was over there – "

"You mean when you were pummelling Jakis by the requests board." Rana interjected wryly.

" – and I thought we could all do this one together." Liev then noticed that her other teammate Alicia stood behind her. She offered Liev a curt nod, which he returned. Appearances could be deceptive or at least they would be in Alicia's case were it not for the armour bodysuit she wore. The girl had the face of a supermodel, with her short, canary-blonde hair done in a bob which gave her an elegant, regal appearance. She could easily play the part of 'Ice Queen', but was instead mild, well-mannered, and – according to Rana – secretly unconfident in both herself and her abilities.

That had surprised Liev at first. As the first opponent Liev had fought he knew that Alicia was an adept swordswoman – a little flashy and prone to pulling off exaggerated movements which any professional could exploit, but a cut above most Liev had seen. The fact that her magic allowed her to change her blade's very dynamic gave her a tremendous advantage as well, it could burn like fire, freeze like the arctic blizzard, or… well… it could do a lot.

Her bodysuit was also a factor; not only was her swordplay outstanding, but her physical strength was something else. Unlike others who used magic to manipulate their body or energy to enhance their physical state, Alicia could quite confidently split stone without such crutches. The fact that she practised with weights regularly gave her every right to be haughty and boastful. Yet she was not.

None of this however, stopped her from at least presenting a strong front to those around her, and Liev suspected that Rana only knew as much as she did because she had peeked into her friend's mind.

'_Only cause I was worried about her.' _Rana spoke pointedly in Liev's head. Liev offered a mental apology for any slander.

At that point, Yael slapped the request on the table, allowing Liev and Rana to take a look.

**Help Wanted!**

**People missing. Strange lights seen every night since first disappearance.**

**Investigators sent also missing. Please help!**

**Reward: 500,000 Jewels**

"You sure this was an official request?" Rana asked "This looks more like something that the Council or the army should handle." Liev said nothing but he agreed with her sentiments. Alicia shifted uncomfortably. Yael simply grinned.

"What? You don't wanna know what's happened?" she said excidetly.

_So it's not that she thought it'd be nice for us to do this as a group – she was just curious…_

The moment he realised this, all of his motivation dried up and he made a move to exit.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Yael cried, pulling Liev back to the table "You gotta pay your rent soon right and if you don't work then you'll be kicked out."

At that point Liev began to lose his temper.

"Oh yeah? And whose fault exactly would that be? All I've been doing since I started out here is learn some stupid spells. You ever once offered to take me on a job with you? And now you do it's just because you…" He trailed off, feeling the anger seep through him, replaced with a burning shame. It was a stupid thing to rant about. He should be grateful for any job he got but now here he was arguing that it wasn't good enough.

Liev was well aware that his finances were in dire straits; he had been given a 'starting up' fund as a gesture of good will by Gildarts, but it was dwindling with every week that passed. He was reluctant to take a job on his own in a largely unfamiliar part of the nation and while they had been mostly cordial, Liev suspected that none of the other members trusted him enough to take him with them on jobs.

He'd thought it hadn't bothered him at first but his perceived ostracising had begun to eat at him as the days had gone by. He knew it was a stupid thought – Yael and Rana were perfectly friendly with him, Alicia didn't despise him as far as he was aware and Davis… well, was Davis but Liev wouldn't hold it against him – but at times he felt more alone than he had been at Night Reaper. There he hadn't joined in because every one of them filled him with a deep loathing. Here everyone looked like they were actually having fun and Liev yearned to join them. But of course he had tried to assassinate one of their most favoured and talented mages and come from a shady background to say the least.

The girls were taken aback by his outburst, even Yael appeared shocked. Liev sighed loudly and ran his hands through his hair.

"Look…" he started but stopped as Davis appeared; a frown on his face. An awkward silence hung over the table before Liev shook his head and simply walked away, feeling Davis' stare digging into his back as he left the Guild.

Liev wandered aimlessly around Magnolia for a few hours, cooling his jets and reflecting on his childish attitude. They had taken him in out of the sheer goodness of their hearts, were teaching him something he'd only believed he'd see in dreams and had even granted him his first true friends. To say he felt like a jerk would be an understatement.

He found himself by the river on the outskirts of the city just as the sun was beginning to set. He cast his gaze around himself. Taking in the top of the Cathedral and the Guild which were by far the tallest and most easily recognisable buildings in the city, he felt a sense of calm seeing it bathed in the orange glow of sunset. It reminded him of the day he joined Fairy Tail. Though it was barely a month ago it felt like years might have passed.

"Here you are…" Said a sullen voice, the source was Davis Justine, and at this moment in time he looked like he would rather be anywhere but here.

"What do you want?" Liev asked tiredly "I thought we'd established that we'd get along fine if we just stayed out of each other's' hair."

"Much as I'd like for that, it appears as though my friends" Liev noticed he placed ever so slight emphasis on the 'my' "feel differently concerning our…" he paused, as if trying to find the right words "relationship."

"Wasn't aware we had one." Liev stated. Davis tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"We agree on that much. Allow me to be candid – "

"Oh please, don't hold back," Liev interrupted dryly "I'm a big boy, I can take it."

Davis ignored the interruption, carrying on speaking.

"I don't trust you. Few people do. Your background is suspicious in the best of circumstances – "

"What, you don't think I don't know that?" Liev shouted in frustration, this time catching Davis off guard.

"I was a part of that miserable excuse for a Guild for almost all my _life. _You think I don't know what kind of peo – no, what kind of _animals_ those things attract?" Liev spat venomously, he had harboured such loathing of his Guild-mates over his life, and he was now giving vent to it.

"Every day and every night I was in that building I watched the worst kind of human beings take part in some of the most depraved acts I'll ever see, some of which would make you shiver in those pretty boots of yours! People died in that Guild on a daily basis! Women, children… men… it didn't matter, if they got in the way they either died or they were taken back to the guild and… and" Liev trailed off as he relived old and very unpleasant memories.

Davis was stunned, he could tell, but he kept a stronger face than Liev thought he would.

_Stoic bastard._

"I tried to kill one of your friends," Liev admitted, feeling more weary than he'd ever felt before "I've never had friends, so I honestly can't say what I'd be feeling if I was in your shoes." He chuckled "I think I might act like you are now."

Davis had nothing to say, so Liev continued.

"I understood your distrust – I _still _understand it – I know where I came from better than you ever could. Suspect me, distrust me, but don't you ever compare me to those monsters."

"I wasn't –"

"No, but you were leading up to it." Liev cut him off, his voice low and dangerous.

"Well ain't this cute? Kiddie's got a boyfriend."

The two members of Fairy Tail whirled around. Standing not two metres away from them was a slight man with thick red hair and stubble. His cloak was faded and tattered maroon; withered and shoddily patched. Underneath he wore sky blue trousers and a midnight black scaled shirt. In one hairy, gnarled hand he held a massive, serrated scythe, while in the other he held a rapier – a strange combination.

"Who are you?" Davis asked, one hand raised in a defensive posture, the other hidden beneath his greatcoat, where he was undoubtedly beginning to write his runes.

"I'll get to you tall pale and green, I got a score to settle with the kiddie here first." There was so much venom in his voice is surprised Liev.

"What's eating him?" asked Abhainn.

"No idea," Liev replied "never seen him before in my life."

The assassin must have heard him because his eye twitched and Liev threw himself to the side as the assassin's rapier pierced the space he'd been standing mere moments before.

"You humiliate me and now you have the gall to say you've forgotten me?" the assassin raged, this was good. Rage made people stupid; strong and relentless, but stupid, though Liev was still puzzled as to the assassin's identity.

"Sorry have we met somewhere before? I really don't recognise you at all."

With a bellow of fury, the assassin leapt, scythe reaping the air. Liev ducked, and slid Abhainn from her sheath on his back before hurling the swinging the blade in a lethal semi-circle arc, forcing the assassin to leap back or be cut in half.

"Not bad kiddie. Today is my lucky day; Ein told me I might see you here. The girl was a catch enough but _you _were the icing on the cake." The assassin taunted, twirling his massive weapon in one hand, letting it hiss through the air.

"Ein?" Liev raised a brow "You're from Night Reaper." Davis shot Liev a look before returning his steady gaze to the problem at hand.

Just barely restraining his rage, the assassin nodded slowly and measuredly, as if trying to calm himself.

"But what are you doing here? If what you've just said is any indication you're not here to kill me."

"Pah!" the assassin spat "A lickspittle like you is barely worth an F-rank order. No, originally I was sent with another target in mind."

"Which is?" Davis asked, giving voice to a cold anger, his disgust with the man before him evident.

"The same target you were sent here to kill." The assassin's mouth curled in a twisted smile.

"And let me tell you Eiskufe, I'm not going to make the mistake that Gin did when he was sent for you. I've been watching you the last week and you've been none the wiser. I've seen your pretty little girlfriend and the things I'm going to – "

Davis cut him off with a punch fuelled with a strength Liev didn't believe the boy possessed. Davis was furious; a far cry from the stoic Liev had believed he was. The mage before him was currently ruled by his emotions, and they screamed for vengeance against this disgusting man who threatened his friend. The assassin rocked on his feet, but his eyes were focused, his mouth twitching in a victorious grin –

_You stupid bas–_

The scythe ripped through Davis, cleaving him from collarbone to his hip. Liev watched as Davis' blood anointed the cruel blade of the assassin's scythe, how Davis' face contorted in agony and shock before his features softened as he lost consciousness. He was numb as he watched Davis fall to the ground and lie there.

Still.

Motionless.

**Bam.**

**That is all.**


	5. One of You

**First off, I'd like to bring some attention to the reviewer CleanUp and the sterling reviews he's written. See them? **_**That **_**is what keeps me going. Don't get me wrong, the 'Cool story bro' comments are fine but I'd really like to see some good, honest reviews written, and not just for me either. The mark of a good critic is the ability not just to tell you where you're going wrong, but how you can improve. For some I'm just banging on but it seems all too common that criticism is either rebuked as 'flaming' or just not taken into account (don't get me wrong though, it's a thousand times better here than it is on DeviantArt).**

**So if anyone reading this has a story reviewed by CleanUp: take on board what he says. Like he says on his profile page: he's not here to put you down, he's here to help make you a better writer and – by way of this – your own stories better.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Five: One of You**

Liev was on the assassin in a heartbeat, Abhainn clashed violently with the blade of the scythe – still wet with Davis' blood.

"If I'd known I'd get that reaction out of you just by cutting a bitch up I'd have – "

He didn't get to finish as Liev hammered his fist into the smirking assassin's face. The older man stumbled and Abhainn slid down the curve of the blade, stooping low in preparedness to suddenly slip Abhainn past the pole of the massive weapon and bisect its handler.

The assassin suddenly pushed forwards, throwing Liev off-balance before thrusting with the rapier. Cursing under his breath for forgetting about the weapon Liev jinked to the side, letting the blade pass harmlessly by him. It was a poor manoeuvre that any half-competent brawler could have dodged. Clearly this man was either unfamiliar or a novice with the slender weapon. The fact didn't stop him from wiping his bloody nose and taking a mock practise swing with a weapon meant only to thrust.

"He's not particularly good with that poncy thing." Abhainn mused. Liev nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps it's the scythe that's throwing him off-balance?" Liev wondered aloud.

"Or maybe he's just a bad swordsman?" Abhainn offered, and Liev chuckled.

"Maybe, but I don't think it's that poncy weapon I've got to worry about." He said as he eyed the assassin who slipped into a low crouching stance, the blade of the rapier balanced on the pole of the scythe which he held defensively. The stance was awkward and Liev wondered what purpose exactly the weapon served.

Deciding it was irrelevant for the time being he brought Abhainn up and reflected briefly on the teachings of the Second before launching his offensive.

'_Go for a one-hit kill. The best fights are those you win before they know it's even started.'_

Abhainn sailed through the air, lashing at the assassin's throat like a Hawk snatches out with its talons. The assassin ducked low, avoiding the attack and pounced at Liev's exposed underside – rapier poised to pierce his heart.

'_Of course sometimes a prolonged fight's inevitable, and you gotta be ready for that if he survives or avoids that first attack. If your target's a professional, nine times out of ten they'll launch a counter-attack as soon as you're mid-swing. When they do, they'll overextend themselves. If you can kill them in that instant, perfect, otherwise a good solid body blow will do you a world of favours.'_

Liev suddenly twisted his body, balancing himself on the ball of his right foot, the rapier whistled through empty space once more. In the same movement he pivoted and brought his left knee into the assassin's ribcage, hearing a satisfying crack and a grunt of pain from the red-head. The larger man hopped back from Liev, bringing up his scythe one-handed in the process.

'_Most guys will try to get away from you after a stunt like that. The crazy ones will just go for you then and there. If you fight one of them you're in deep shit. The former however I can teach you to prepare for. If it's a long, two-handed weapon like a spear, they'll go for lower attacks if that first hit you got in was worth anything. If on the other hand…'_

True enough, the assassin levelled the blade of the scythe with Liev's knee height and swung it in a deadly arc that certainly would have taken his legs clean off.

Liev however was sky borne, Abhainn raised to deliver the deathblow.

The assassin snarled, the tip of his rapier pointed directly at Liev. It began to brighten with an unearthly, hellish glow.

'_And if your opponent is a mage? Well… you'd better pray his magic can't be used in close quarters, or that he slips up and gives you an opening…'_

The assassin didn't.

The thunder bolt struck Liev square in his chest and he felt the magic sear his skin and wrack his nerves. Gasping at the sudden agony he dropped Abhainn and hit dirt, clutching his scorched body and groaning softly to himself.

He heard Abhainn cry out to him but he was numb to everything but the pain. He was briefly aware of the assassin roaring in triumph and elation but then the pain returned with gusto and he felt his world narrow again.

The assassin stood over him, scythe perpendicular to the ground, rapier at his side. To Liev's blurred, pain-hazed vision, he looked the very spitting image of Death itself.

The assassin lowered the blade of the scythe and hooked it under Liev's jaw, gently pulling his head up. Liev felt the serrated edges of the blade tug at the skin of his neck and knew that all it would take was a flick and his life would end.

_Would that be so bad? _Liev wondered. _No one's ever wanted me. The Second wanted a tool. Malizer wasn't too different once he took over. Even Fairy Tail hasn't really accepted me. No. If this is the end, let it come. Maybe I'll find some peace in the next life._

He relaxed as he embraced his impending doom, the assassin quirked an eyebrow.

"Where's all that fight gone? This can't be it, it just can't! That was barely half-power! How could it have finished you?" His confusion quickly gave way to fury.

"Were you always this weak? Damn you, you little bastard! I was supposed to humiliate you the same way you humiliated me in the cages you little shit! Don't you _dare _deny me my vengeance!" he spat, visibly shaking with rage.

"I had it all planned! I would knock that fat blade of yours from your hand, cut your fingers off one by one. Spike your tight little rear on the pole of my scythe and strip the skin from your useless meat! And then, only when you begged for the end of it all would you hear the heavens scream my name! Mr Grim!" the assassin was purple and so visibly infuriated that it looked as though his eyeballs would pop out of his skull and burst a blood vessel.

Liev, in his resigned, beaten self, had only made out the name at the end of Mr. Grim's inane ranting. Even with his strength sapped from the thunder bolt, he unconsciously managed to whisper a single word:

"Who?"

The word echoed throughout Grim's skull, reverberating constantly like a cruel jibe. He suddenly whisked the blade away from Liev's neck and – with a bellow of hatred – thundered his boot into Liev's gut, causing the boy to double up, feeling his ribs groan in protest. The wind was knocked from him and he instinctively gasped for air, lungs straining.

Without pausing for an instant Grim brought the back of the pole on top of Liev and hammered it down onto his creaking ribs again and again before flipping the downed ex-assassin into the air with a foot and lashing out with a vicious kick. Liev hit the side of a building and crumpled to the ground.

Grim towered over the fallen boy, nostrils flaring and his eyes so bloodshot they appeared almost entirely crimson. Shakily, he unsheathed his rapier and drove it through Liev's left bicep and the brick of the building behind him, pinning him and eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from Liev as he weakly clutched at the fresh wound.

Still driven by his all-encompassing fury, Grim took his scythe in both hands and raised it above Liev's head.

"I'm so pissed off right now I don't think I'll kill you in the first shot; or the next, or the one after that." He said, slowly with a promise of great pain and a sadistic, blood-crazed grin.

"I'm going to enjoy th – "

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" **Came a familiar bellow. Grim took the attack to his chin, knocking several teeth loose and almost shattering his jawline. The assassin crashed through the wall of the building he had pinned Liev to not moments before at an unreal speed; a shout of surprise echoing from inside told everyone that the building was in use.

Yael stood in Grim's place, a look of barely restrained rage on her face. She looked so different to how she normally was. The Yael that Liev was familiar with was without a care in the world, wild, as free and uncontrollable as the magic she wielded. Now she stood with steel in her gaze, unforgiving and unblinking as she glared at the hole she'd made in the building.

Alicia called over to Yael as she checked on Davis, who was – thankfully – still breathing, albeit raspingly, and any fool could tell he was on borrowed time until they got him proper medical care. Liev felt like crap, but he knew he'd survive, though some part of him wondered whether this was for the best.

Rana appeared over him; it seemed to Liev that this was a day for other sides. Gone was the mischievous glint in her eye and the cheeky grin that told him she knew exactly what was going on in his head. She took hold of the rapier embedded in Liev's shoulder and with a tug and a barely muffled curse from Liev, the blade was pulled free. Pulling Liev into a sitting position, she propped him against the wall and brought out a cloth, wiping the blood away as best she could. Liev tiredly tried slapping her hand away.

"Otherguyfrrst." He slurred, delirious with pain and blood loss. Rana paused for a moment before nodding sombrely. Liev thought that was the end of the matter but she pulled a spotted handkerchief from a pocket on her blue one piece and wrapped it around the wound.

_Stupidsoanso… _Liev's thoughts were as coherent as his speech. Rana flashed him a quick smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Love you too." Or her voice.

She picked herself up and jogged over to Alicia, who had thrown Davis over her shoulder. The two young mages exchanged words, with much frantic nodding and waving of hands, but eventually Alicia called an incantation, and she was off in an instant, leaving only the three of them.

Rana stood gazing at the space Alicia had occupied for a few moments before lighting a fireball in both hands and tossing them at Yael, who guzzled them down in moments. She passed the young Dragon Slayer and slapped her on the shoulder in comradely gesture.

"Give him hell." She said. Yael said nothing, but the length of her arms suddenly burst into brilliant scarlet fire and with a vicious war cry she charged through the hole she'd created.

Rana sighed wearily and strode over to where Abhainn lay, taking her by the hilt in both hands, stumbling a little over the weight of the blade, and dragged it to Liev, setting her at his side.

"I know you can't use her that well for the time being but…" she trailed off, staring blankly at his broken form as if just taking his injuries in for the first time. The sounds of a vicious fight resounded from outside the hole, various crashing noises, another battle cry from Yael, a roar from Grim, a resonating _boom_ and then silence. Liev prayed that Yael was alright, and that Grim was nothing but a smear on the floor.

"Liev?" Abhainn murmured softly to him. Liev didn't reply.

"You poor, stupid boy." She cooed too him as Liev slumped lower, he'd lost a fair amount of blood, and his shoulder still hurt like an absolute bastard.

_Wakmewenitsovr… _he saw Rana turn on her heel sharply towards him as Liev slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

Liev's first thought when he awoke was that he was most assuredly alive. The reasoning behind this thought was that he hurt all over, and if he was in heaven then surely there would be no pain at all. The only other possibility was that he was in hell, and while Liev didn't think he was the arrogant sort, he doubted he'd done enough to warrant an eternity of torment.

_But then of course there's purgatory, or reincarnation, or a thousand other different afterlives that could mean I still feel what I felt before I died. Man we sure are a fickle species now I really think about it. I wonder if…_

His philosophising was abruptly and permanently cut short when he opened his eyes and found himself in a cosy white cot. Another cot sat barely a metre away, and he could make out Davis' distinctive green hair.

_Well I don't think they'd put him here if he were dead._

"Awake?" Davis asked. Liev started, then groaned as a sharp, stabbing pain pierced his shoulder.

"Miss Marvell helped get the worst of it out the way, but as you know medicine takes time to work, and I believe she'd expended a good deal of magic on a job she was on a while earlier…" he paused, sounding strangely humbled "they said I was… lucky… that she arrived when she did. That and Alicia's speed… if it hadn't been for them I'd…" he didn't need to say any more, Liev understood.

"Should you be talking so much?" Liev croaked. Silence answered him, and he chuckled, wincing as his shoulder ached again.

"I didn't think so." Liev sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he next opened them the pain would all be gone someplace far away.

Davis appeared to be working against Liev's hopes.

"Rana told me that you fought the assassin when I fell." He said simply. There was no resentment or gratitude present. He was simply stating a fact.

"He would've gone for me anyway. I was just getting the first attack in."

"I see that worked well for you."

Liev sputtered and looked at Davis, incredulous. Even more amazingly was that the boy had a grin on his face.

"I think I must've lost a few braincells when I passed out." Liev muttered to himself, Davis chuckled lightly in response.

"I know what I seem like at times – "

"Tight-lipped, sourpuss, 'no fun allowed'" Liev couldn't help but interrupt.

"Damnit man I'm trying to say I was wrong about you!" Davis suddenly belted out. That did catch Liev by surprise.

"But all I did was – "

"Rana told me when I woke up about half an hour ago. You probably weren't thinking it consciously, but she said that at the forefront of your thoughts, you hoped that I'd live... that you care about us." For a few moments an awkward silence reigned.

"I know you've not spent long with us, and that some of us have ostracised you – myself included – as a result of your background. But I feel I should tell you that you're one of us. A good mage; and a good man."

_Mage…_

Liev sighed again, feeling his shoulder tug as he breathed out.

"No. No Davis, I'm really not. I'm not a mage, and try as I might I don't think I'll ever be one of you." He heard Davis open his mouth in response but Liev cut him off "Clam it Grasshead, you're worse off than I am, you shouldn't be talking in the first place! Take your medicine and belt up or you'll open your gut up again." With that, Liev turned away from Davis and tried to think of something other than the whirlwind of thoughts that flittered through his mind.

It had been one hell of a day.

Ein Malizer was not a happy man.

For starters the traitorous little brat was still breathing even after the kicking that Grim had given him, and now he had several clients who all wanted the same young girl dead – for some reason beyond his comprehension – and were all demanding their money back after hearing of failure after failure.

He angrily scoffed down a chicken drumstick as he read the newest request for a refund. Scowling he scrunched the parchment up and tossed it behind him out of an open window.

"The hell do they think we are, a bank?" he growled.

Turning his attention to the crystal clear lacrima – which displayed a beaten, but still breathing Liev Eiskufe sitting pretty in some medical centre – he frowned. He hadn't known what to feel when the kid had failed his objective; surprise? Relief? Disappointment?

What had most certainly surprised him was that the target in question had approached him and that the kid had seemingly _joined the Guild she belonged to! _Never mind that he'd just tried offing her mere hours beforehand! It was beyond belief; beyond everything Ein thought conceivable. Musing on the softness of Official Guilds and mages he had turned his attention to other matters; the kid would get his in time, maybe he'd send Ginrei after him, he hated the Second's legacy as much as Ein did.

Only Ginrei had failed when the very same girl Liev had been tasked with murdering had taken the sadistic assassin down in an entirely underwhelming fashion (at least, in Ein's own opinion). He'd written the man off as soon as he'd fallen unconscious; if he wasn't executed by the Guilders then he was effectively as good as dead once the Council got hold of him.

So Ein had decided to let things slide for the time being and continue running Night Reaper as normal; let the kid think he was safe for a while, then take him down when he least expected it. His face soured as he recalled it was the Second who had taught him that particular method. Gods he had hated the old fossil.

However the question of the boy seemed determined to haunt him as long as he left it unchecked and he had received a request from another anonymous patron asking that Yael Dragneel no longer be counted among the living by five O'clock next Sunday. He had thought sending Grim would be the right call; Liev had beaten him black and blue in the practise cages years back and he was still smarting from the defeat. He knew for a fact that Grim knew a little thunder magic (not that he used or mentioned it in front of Ein, smart man) and the fact that only Ein himself knew this would surely only work to his advantage if he came across Liev again. If he killed Yael too, that was an added bonus; money hardly grew on trees after all.

But no, failure bred failure and both the Second's little favourite and the target flaunted their un-killed selves for the entire underworld to see. It was making Night Reaper look the picture perfect fool.

He gazed absently at the lacrima, watching as Liev spoke some words – presumably to the other occupant in the ward – and then turned on his side. Evidently he no longer felt like talking. Ein continued staring blankly at the boy before he slapped a hand on his worn desk and got up.

"You know what? Fuck it all." He said to no one in particular and hefted his mighty warhammer off its perch. He tested the weight in his hands, murmuring appreciatively.

"Hello beautiful," he whispered softly to the great weapon "you look a little underfed." He took a practice swing and accidentally demolished a vase he'd been gifted from the master of a Thieves Guild.

"Testy, testy." He chided as he slung the weapon on his back. He took a pack and filled it with a few basic supplies before leaving his office and locking the door.

The main hall was a debauched blood-fest as it usually was at this time of day. He scanned the crowd, watching assassins work out various blood-feuds, gamble, drink or caress the 'hired' barmaids. Maybe he'd pay one of them a visit when he got back. Finally he set eyes on the person he sought.

"Oi!" he bellowed over the din "Magnus!" the Guild hall fell silent as its master made his presence known. Magnus lowered his tankard and made his way through the crowd from the bar to his Guild Master.

"Yes Master Malizer?" he asked, not a little curious as to what could have dragged Ein out of his office.

"Got something I'm gonna go take care of, keep this place up and running until I'm back." He started to leave, but then pulled back as he remembered something else "and if I find my office has been broken into I'll take your testicles and use them to play ping pong."

"You used that one on me yesterday Master Malizer." Magnus deadpanned.

"Did I? What day is it today?" he asked.

"Saturday, last I looked Master." He replied.

"Which was…?"

"Three days ago."

"Which would make it Wednesday now right?"

"Believe so."

"Hm. I see." Ein placed a hand on his chin, lightly fingering the scar that split his face in two "Then I'll scrape out your eyes and feed them to the pigs."

"You said that one two days ago!" one inebriated assassin piped up, the one next to him shut him up with a hammer blow to his bald scalp. Ein nodded his appreciation to the man, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Then I'll grind your bones to make bread." He said after some consideration.

"I think I heard that one in a story book." A voice said from somewhere in the crowd. Ein frowned.

"Then I'll just murder you alright?"

"Perfectly understandable Master Malizer." Replied Magnus with a nod before pointing to his tankard "Can I finish this now?" Ein dismissed him with a wave and strode out of the entrance.

He took a deep breath of the outside air as the wind rushed past him. He felt a stirring in his gut, and realised that it had been far too long since he'd taken on a job himself.

Then he felt the breeze and realised he'd forgotten his pants again.

Mumbling and cursing to himself about inattentive subordinates he walked back into the Guild to his office in order to find some pants.

He really was not a happy man.

**Had this about half-way done for a while but didn't really get down to it before I read those reviews by CleanUp, so you have him to thank for me getting my sexy behind in gear and getting this out much, **_**much**_** faster than usual. Speaking of fast, anyone here play Tribes: Ascend?**

**On a more related topic; I don't think this was one of my finer pieces of work if I'm being perfectly honest, mostly the dialogue between Davis and Liev. Before I go ahead with that though I'd like to know what you lot thought of it – not just the dialogue mind.**

**Cheerio**


	6. Memories

**Bit stuck on editing Chapter Five, so until I get that sorted here's an entirely new chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Six: Memories**

Liev grumbled as he rotated his toned arms. He'd been released from the hospital two days ago but he still felt stiff. His sparring partner gave him an inquisitive look from the other end of the clearing.

"Something wrong?" Yael asked as she stretched her legs out.

"Nothing this won't fix." Liev replied as he hefted Abhainn and drew the blade back before unleashing a flurry of practise swings.

"That felt positively slow." Abhainn jibed. Liev frowned at his partner.

"You going to start or was this a waste of my time?" Rana called from under the great tree. Alicia stood next to her, leaning against the thick trunk and gave her friend a disapproving glance.

"What? I'm bored." She argued, defensively.

Liev sighed and brought Abhainn up over his head, holding the great sword at an angle to the ground.

"Ready when you ar–"

No sooner had he called out when Yael suddenly disappeared. So sudden was her movement that Liev broke his stance and had to dive to the side to avoid the girl's ferocious opening attack.

Her fists were ablaze and there was a deep gouge in the land where the Dragon Slayer had landed.

"Okay…" Liev muttered as Yael stood up and drew her fist back, presumably for another shot.

This time Liev was ready for her, bringing the flat of Abhainn up to meet Yael's blow, stopping her cold but jarring Liev's arm through the sheer force of the punch.

_How is this girl so strong?_

Liev held his ground however and – in a feat most accomplished blade masters would envy – exchanged hands, taking the grip in his left and suddenly swiping Abhainn to the right. The manoeuvre dragged Yael's guard open and Liev pivoted on his left heel and slapped the Dragon Slayer with the flat of the blade, knocking her a good distance away. Yael recovered quickly, landing on her feet and appearing even more determined.

"Here it comes." Abhainn murmured.

Yael shot forward like a bullet from a gun, unleashing blow after blow, a blazing tornado of punches and kicks that Liev found himself hard pressed to defend against.

A kick to his shin unbalanced him, a vicious uppercut broke his guard, and a staggering blow to his chin had Liev seeing stars and put him on his back. Yael stood over him, her arms wreathed in fire.

Liev sighed and dropped his head softly against the grass.

"Yeah… you win." He sighed.

"That was faster than I thought it'd be." Abhainn mused, Liev didn't reply.

"That was unbelievably pathetic," Rana said with a smirk as she approached the two "I thought you were supposed to be some badass assassin or something."

Liev kept his silence and accepted Yael's outstretched hand.

'_Don't you give me the silent treatment mister.' _Liev didn't reply, casting an irritated glare at Rana who still had that cheeky smirk plastered to her face.

"You've still not recovered," Alicia said thoughtfully "your movements when we first met were much more fluid. Here, you were stiff, uncomfortable." Her voice was soft and gentle, entirely at odds with her appearance of a warrior constantly ready for battle.

"I took a battering from that guy. Barely stayed in hospital for a week; stands to reason I'd not be at my peak." Liev replied in agreement, though he still smarted from the ease at which Yael had beaten him.

"This is why all of us were against you leaving so early; even healing magic can only do so much – as you've just seen for yourself." Rana said, now entirely serious "You don't need to push yourself this much."

"No. I really do!" Liev snapped "I was considered one of that place's best a few years back. Since I left I've been getting my ass handed to me every round I've gone with those guys! I've slackened off; I need to get better if I want to have any hope at all of –" he caught himself just in time, stopping before he gave his intentions away.

Not that he was ashamed of what he planned to do, but his new friends might get the wrong idea if they knew he wanted to bring Night Reaper down.

'_Interesting…'_

_Oh great…_

Rana cupped her chin thoughtfully. It took all that Liev had not to cast daggers at the girl.

_Damn telepath. Stay out of my head!_

'_This would explain why you've been going at it with Yael so much lately.' _She mused telepathically, completely ignoring him.

_It has nothing to do with you._

'_Sorry. Just curious; why exactly are you so against us knowing about this?'_

The question was one he'd considered, but now he thought about it in more detail he really could not come up with a satisfactory answer.

It didn't stop him from trying though.

_Night Reaper's my old Guild. It's only right they're dismantled by my own hand._

'_That's really not good enough. Why keep this from us? Did you think we'd stop you?'_

_Yes actually._

The silence and the hurt – not mocking, _genuine_ hurt – look Rana now adopted told Liev that he'd just upset the telepath. She turned swiftly on her heel and disappeared into the tree line. Alicia called after her before following her friend. Yael simply seemed confused.

"What did you say to the poor girl? I've not seen her like that before." Liev didn't answer; Yael cocked her head at the blade before giving Liev a questioning look.

"What's going on? What did you talk about with Rana?" the young Dragon Slayer inquired, worry for her friend etched on her face.

"Nothing to do with you Yael." Liev replied more curtly than he'd intended. Yael narrowed her eyes and stalked towards him before measuring herself right up against Liev. Her tone was low and threatening, and Liev found himself once more struck at the wild beauty of the Dragon Slayer.

"You upset one of my friends, no one of my _best_ friends. Say it ain't my damn business again and I'll send you back to the hospital." Liev placed a hand on Yael's shoulder and gentled pushed himself away, sighing in defeat. He knew that in all likelihood she would make good on her promise, she was impulsive, noisy and reckless but she'd be damned before she went back on her word.

Liev would be lying if he said it wasn't a quality he found endearing.

"Rana found out I want to tear down Night Reaper and I thought if you guys knew you'd try and stop me." Liev explained. There. It was out there. She could make her own judgement –

– the haymaker caught him entirely off guard. He found himself lying on the grass with Yael standing over him. He'd expected her to react in spectacular fashion, though he wasn't expecting the hand she offered afterwards. He paused a moment to rub his jaw before cautiously taking the proffered limb, allowing Yael to help him to his feet.

"You didn't trust us to help?" she asked.

Liev opened his mouth to speak, and spent a moment weighing his words carefully for a moment before sighing heavily, hanging his head, feeling not a little ashamed of himself.

"No… I didn't."

An agonising silence passed between the two for what felt like an hour until Yael decided to be the better person and speak first.

"Why?" she asked. She sounded so confused it almost hurt Liev to hear her ask.

"I don't know… you might think it's too dangerous or that it's something the Council should deal with or… I just don't know."

"That's pretty stupid." Yael said, bluntly and unapologetically. Liev glanced at her in surprise.

"We deal in danger every day we go out on a job. If we didn't believe in our friends who take the more dangerous jobs it'd be an insult they'd never forgive you for." She gave him a feral grin "Besides we're the strongest Guild in the country, there isn't anyone around who can beat us." She puffed out her chest proudly at her description of the Guild.

"As for the Council; well we've never been real friendly with them. Grandpa Gildarts and some of the others say there are a few nice ones in there but usually we try to stay away from each other."

That was news to Liev. As far as he and Night Reaper had been aware, all the official guilds were strictly regulated by the Council and maintained regular contact. He wondered briefly if the Second or Ein had truly believed this, or if it had been withheld on purpose, and if so then why? Shaking his head, he decided it didn't matter.

"Alright…" he started. A crunch of twigs alerted him, and he turned just in time to see something large and very heavy hiss through the air. The object smashed through the trunk of a tree, which teetered precariously before toppling over like some leviathan. Yael knocked him out of the way and the ground shook as the trunk crashed against the earth, branches snapping and leaves crumpling and tearing.

"You have _no _idea how long it took me to find you." The voice was all too familiar to Liev.

_Is it really…_

"First I got lost and found myself on this island populated by demons cause some jackass drunk sailor gave me wrong directions. Then I ran into an old friend and he paid me to off a gang shaking his place down for cash – and you would not _believe _how annoying that was with all the mages; fire and the lightning and the boss with his 'we will destroy everything you hold dear!' and…" the rest of Ein Malizer's inane rambling faded into background noise as Liev took the Third Master of Night Reaper in.

Hawkish, coal-coloured eyes leered at Liev as he continued his story. The scar that vertically bisected his face diminished, but did not destroy his well-proportioned features. Messy, thick black locks topped his head. His thick, dull grey greatcoat bore a golden Night Reaper crest. In his large, gnarled hands were several documentation papers – likely from his adventures locating him.

Liev felt himself trembling in anticipation. All his doubts, all his fears left him. He felt light, he felt nimble. His fatigue and stiffness disappeared. The biggest obstacle in his path to Night Reaper's destruction stood before him and Liev never felt surer in that moment that he was ready. Past failures be damned, he'd been ill prepared for them. He could do this.

With a savage war cry he charged straight towards the hateful Third. Abhainn brought low to cleave up straight through Ein's torso even as the spirit possessing the weapon cried her objections to Liev's assault. Ein was still listing off his travel experiences, not even looking at Liev – the fool! His favoured war hammer was buried in the trunk of a tree in the forest behind Liev. He would never get a better chance than this. He could end it all here!

The blade carved through the air, driving straight from Ein's chest. Liev felt a surge of vindication as he saw the blade inch ever closer to the form of the Third. His heart thundered in his chest and he heard himself roar in triumph as –

– Ein disappeared.

Abhainn cut nothing but air and the Third stood to Liev's side, his back to him.

"That was rather rude boy. I'd have thought the Second would have told you not to interrupt a man when he's speaking."

No sooner had he finished before Liev recovered from his attack, twisting his body and spinning Abhainn like a rotor blade before driving the blade backwards in a reverse grip to impale the Third.

Abhainn kissed nothing but blank space again, and Liev felt himself growing even more frustrated as he pivoted on his heel and swiped the blade across. Ein stepped back just out of its reach, allowing Abhainn to shave a few strands of hair from his chin.

"Much obliged kid. It's been a while since I've shaved."

Liev saw red.

He barely recalled any coherent thought he had in that time. He was a blur of violence, a wind of steel. An avatar of destruction that any ordinary foe would have stood no chance before.

Ein Malizer was far above and beyond ordinary.

He practically danced aside Liev's wild, furious blows. It was graceless manoeuvring but a practised eye would have noted that there was not a single unnecessary movement pulled off. Every fibre of his being at that moment was devoted to avoiding the great weapon and he pulled it off with an ease only years of experience could grant.

Finally deciding that he'd seen enough, Ein stepped inside Liev's reach and grabbed his wrist, stopping a brutal overhead strike.

"You're injured. Weak. That fight with Grim took more out of you than you know boy." A cruel grin spread over his face.

"As you are now; you're the ideal prey."

He pulled his fist back to hammer into the struggling teen, when a voice called out.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" **Ein turned his head at the sound, confusion etched upon his face.

"Fire Dragon's wha–?" he never got to finished as Yael's flame-wreathed fist collided violently with his face, sending him crashing to the ground. The Dragon Slayer stood over the Master of assassins, her arms ablaze and her gaze smouldering with potent fury.

Ein sat up and rubbed his cheek, staring absently into the distance for a moment before turning his gaze to Yael.

"Ow."

He got to his feet, rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck muscles before dropping into a low fighting stance.

"Must be my lucky day today. I can quite literally kill two birds with one…" he stopped for a moment before glancing at his clenched hands "fist…" he finished lamely.

Yael snarled; a low, bestial sound and shot towards the Third. The fire sheathing her arms suddenly became a blazing stream.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Slash!" **Yael bellowed as she reached Ein, who leapt over her just as she was about to pass him. While still airborne, Ein lashed out with a devastating kick at Yael's head, driving her face-first into the ground.

"Not bad girlie. You're quick on your feet but with all I've seen I could probably avoid you in my sleep." As if to prove his point he stepped to the side as Liev thrust Abhainn forward before delivering a swift roundhouse kick to Liev's unguarded midsection, winding the boy and driving him back. Without so much as a warning he unleashed a flurry of kicks, making a mockery of Liev's hasty defence before he suddenly stepped inside Liev's reach once more and crashed his fists against several points on Liev's torso.

Liev crumpled to the floor, gasping for air before vomiting blood. He had no idea what Ein had just done but his gut felt like it was tearing apart. He tried reaching for Abhainn in order to pull off one last attack but a boot crushed his hand. Too busy coughing up more blood he had no breath to cry out in pain. Ein removed his boot and kicked Abhainn away.

"Fat load of good that did you." Ein scoffed even as the bound spirit shrieked and cursed his name. He glanced over at Yael, who appeared to be unconscious. Nodding in satisfaction, Ein took a step away from Liev.

"Stay there." He said, his voice lacking humour.

He strolled casually towards the tree he had felled mere moments ago and gazed thoughtfully at it before shaking his head and heading into the forest, retrieving his great war-hammer. He hefted it in one hand, taking a moment to savour its familiar weight before turning back to the prone pair. He started for Liev, but took no more than a few steps when he stopped, a thoughtful look on his face.

Liev felt his blood run cold as the Third turned towards Yael, taking a practise swing with his great hammer and splitting the ground beneath him.

"Watch and learn kiddo." Ein jabbed "This is the way life works; the strong take from the weak, the stronger get paid to take care of the strong, and anyone who fucks with me takes a permanent vacation to the afterlife." He flashed Liev a cruel smirk as he turned back to Yael. Liev willed himself into action as Ein's steps took him closer and closer to the prone Dragon Slayer.

_Move damnit. Move. Move! _Move!

He forced himself to his feet, though the pain in his gut was excruciating. He hacked up more blood and, unsteadily, took a step forwards, then another, and another, until his pace quickened and Liev found himself on a collision course with Ein as he hefted his hammer above his head in preparation to cave Yael's skull in. He felt like he was coming apart at the seams but still he powered on until he pushed off the ground with all his remaining strength, a bellow of righteous fury mixed with blazing agony leaving his lips.

Ein staggered, clearly surprised, though it lasted for but a second. He adjusted his footing in a heartbeat and swung his hammer at Liev, who had no time, no strength to even attempt to avoid it.

Liev fell a second time, his left arm hanging limp at his side. He'd not be surprised if the bone had been completely shattered by the merciless attack, and it hurt more than anything he'd ever felt before.

"Oh I really gotta hand it to you kid. I totally did not see that one coming, with all those points I struck I'd have thought you'd be puking blood until I decided to put you out of your misery." Ein sighed and placed his hammer head first on the ground, leaning lazily atop the lengthy pole arm.

"I've had a change of heart. I thought I'd kill the girl first to mess with you but thinking about it now it'd really make more sense to take care of the conscious target up on his feet first." He glanced at Yael briefly "That was some pretty tough stuff there. Going all that far for her… you and her bump uglies together or something?" Liev didn't grace him with a response; Ein was just trying to rile him up.

"Gonna take that as a no then. Hey you want a go on her before I kill you? I mean, she's right there and everything, all you'd need to do is –" Liev sputtered at his suggestion, blanching at the idea.

"You – you!"

"Hey, I'm just saying. Caught a look at her and she's really not half bad – leagues above most of the ones back at the Guild. Since you're about to die anyway I figured I'd do one decent thing in my life and offer a dead man one last request. Awful shame to die a virgin you know?"

Pain, broken bones and the hellfire burning in his gut be damned, Liev was not going to listen to this. He drew out every last drop of strength he had left and kicked off the ground, drawing back his good arm. He dived under Ein's casual swipe and pushed off the ground, his aim was true, and had he been on equal footing with his opponent that blow might well have decided the outcome of the fight.

"Nice try kid. Now seriously, stay still."

The Master of Assassins had avoided the punch at the last second. Pivoting, he stepped backwards to gain range in which he could once more bring his fearsome weapon to bear.

The next strike took Liev's left leg.

The boy fell in a heap, gasping and groaning, fighting merely to stay conscious as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. Ein stood over him, staring at his beaten opponent with amusement for a moment before drawing his hammer back.

"It's a damn shame now I think about it, you had a natural talent when the Second took you in. If only I'd found you first…" He sighed at the memory. Liev took a rasping breath and clutched a handful of grass as he tried once more to will himself into action.

"Well, time to die kid. It was fun – for me, not for you, unless you're into this kind of thing… though I suppose it's kinda hard to enjoy broken bones. Oh well." He shrugged and drove the hammer down –

– right into solid ground as Liev rolled out of the way, the head of the great weapon falling scant millimetres from his face. The pain was even worse than before – and to top it all off he'd lost two limbs – but Liev was still in the game. Barely. He propped himself up on his right leg, feeling as if he would collapse at any moment. Ein raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Your left leg and arm are dead, I'm pretty sure some of your organs are pulp – at least if I did it right – and if that wasn't enough; you're also unarmed. But you still stand against me," He chuckled, deep and gruff, "you must really want me dead. Hell I bet at this point you'd be quite happy to die if it meant taking me with you." Liev didn't reply, couldn't reply. He drew a staggered breath and tried to focus on staying awake.

"Really is a damn shame." Ein muttered before sighing to himself as he prepared to launch what would be the final blow. Both knew that Liev was quite literally on his last leg, and entirely unable to so much as try to avoid another of Ein's vicious swings.

The ground suddenly caved in beneath him, combat instinct kicked in and the Third leapt back.

The new arrival gestured with his hands and once more the earth under Ein's feet shattered like glass. He hopped away from the newcomer and snarled, which quickly became a gawp as he realised that he recognised him.

"Let me assure you now that there won't be a thing left of you to bury." Gildarts Clive seethed with barely restrained fury.

"It's always something." Ein muttered darkly under his breath and retrieved a handful of smoke pellets from within his greatcoat. He wasn't nearly fool enough to even try to fight one of the strongest mages in Fiore; not a single person hadn't heard of the infamous Sixth Master of Fairy Tail or his simply ludicrous power.

"What? No counter-attack? No threats? You're just going to run?" Gildarts yelled before altering the map further with another frightening display of power.

"I know of your power Master Clive and even one such as myself would have to be an absolute moron to fight you. You don't live to my age in my world by picking fights with those who surpass you…" a sharp smirk tugged at the corner of his lips "at least; not without help." With that said he tossed the smoke pellets and made his escape into the foliage.

"You will not escape my wrath, assassin!" the master of Fairy Tail bellowed "I'll raze this entire forest to find you!" He turned back to the treeline behind him "Asuka! Elias! Get these two out of here. I'll handle this myself."

Immediately as soon as he'd called the pair dashed out from cover; both had been unwilling to get in the way of Gildarts' righteous fury. Asuka picked Yael up while Elias threw Liev over his shoulder, mumbling an apology when Liev gasped at the sudden movement which jolted his bones and caused his numerous injuries to flare.

The pair rushed off to the hospital with the two injured teens while behind them their Master went about making good on his promise.

**X**

Liev spent the next two weeks in a medically induced coma; his insides were a mess and only Wendy's intervention succeeded in stabilising the boy. Yael by comparison got off with a minor concussion and a slightly wounded pride. Yael visited regularly until she went on a job a week after the event, her place taken by Rana. Davis paid him a courteous visit (before a passing nurse chastised him and forcibly dragged him back to his room for almost reopening the stitches on his chest). Even Gildarts showed up, acknowledging his efforts in stalling Ein long enough for him to arrive on the scene, though he was clearly frustrated at the despicable man giving him the slip.

While the rest of Fairy Tail continued their usual business, Liev dreamed.

And remembered…

**X**

The fires raged. Thatched roofs were ablaze with ethereal blue fire while the very earth shook beneath the feet of the inhabitants of the sleepy little coastal town. Screams, the crash of collapsing buildings and incantations filled the air. Dust. There was so much dust you could barely see your hand in front of your face.

The boy toddled through the street, his eyes streaming and bloodshot. He was confused. His senses were overloaded by the noise and he didn't understand what was happening. He screamed for his mother but only more screams answered him. He cried for his father but no one comforted him.

A passing civilian crashed into him, knocking him over. He scraped his shin on the rough ground and wailed at the pain, calling over and over for people who could not answer. He hated the noise. He hated the dust that clung to his clothes, caked his dirty-blond hair and stung his eyes. He wanted things back to how they were. He wanted so many things.

Finding no solace in the confused, hectic action around him, the young boy curled into a ball and sobbed his way into unconsciousness.

He awoke a day later to a very different scene. The houses, shop buildings, smithies and craft workshops that once stood proudly were now piles of brick and stone. The dust still had not settled, though visibility was infinitely better than it had been.

The boy stood up, shaking and sniffling. His stomach growled and he realised he was very, very hungry. His throat was drier than the most unforgiving desert. He tried to take a step but collapsed, feeling suddenly weak. He knocked his head against the ground and burst out sobbing again.

"Child." A gruff voice intoned from behind him. The boy stopped his wailing and turned to look upon the source of the voice. He was the tallest man the boy had ever met in that moment. Thick, greying facial hair concealed much of his face, his hair was almost entirely silver from age, though it seemed as silky as if he were decades younger. A long, serrated scimitar was slung over his back. His eyes were cerulean blue and stern in their gaze, and he beheld the child as if he were an insect he'd just avoided crushing.

"Are you from here?" the giant asked. The boy was too stunned by his appearance to answer.

"I asked you a question boy. Grant your elder some respect and answer his question." His tone was hard as granite, cold and uncompromising. The boy shook himself out of his stupor.

"Y-yes." The boy answered; his voice little more than a squeak. The giant lifted his gaze from the boy and cast his eyes over the ruins before returning to the little boy.

"What happened here?"

It was a full two minutes before the boy answered.

"I don't know." He said simply.

The giant sighed heavily, in that moment he seemed almost… weary… tired.

"I take it you don't know where your parents are." The boy nodded, stifling another sniffle and yet more tears.

The giant stood in silence, his eyes shut as if contemplating some grand scheme until, after a full five minutes, he opened them again.

"Come with me boy, much as it pains me to say it; there is nothing here for you anymore. Tell me your name."

The boy paused. He didn't want this; he wanted his mother and father. He wanted to hear another story of the heroes who fought dragons with ancient magic, of the warrior women who wielded arcane gifts in the name of peace and justice. He wanted to feel his mother's tender embrace and hear his father's hearty laughter.

He wanted so many things.

"Liev. Liev Eiskufe." He answered, without ever knowing why.

The old man's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, Liev caught it; did his name mean anything to this person?

"Do you know my mommy and daddy?" he whispered. The old man gazed absently at the boy for a moment, and then shook his head.

"No. I didn't. Now come with me Liev. We'll give you a meal when we make camp this evening."

He didn't know why, but he felt warm when the man used his name. He stood up but fell over again, forgetting his earlier weakness. The old man sighed and picked him up before placing him on top of his shoulders, taking hold of one of his legs to hold him steady.

"Hold on boy." The old man intoned. Liev complied, wrapping his small arms around his forehead.

"Ein! I've found a survivor. Have you and your lot found anything? What? You colossal – and you've forgotten your pants _aga_…"

The voice of the Second faded as Liev felt himself stir. He clutched his head at the sudden rush of old, previously forgotten memories, instantly regretting the sudden movement as his body ached in protest.

"Bad dream?" despite the pain that seemed to ache from every nook and cranny in his body, Liev smiled softly at Abhainn's familiar, comforting voice.

"Sort of." Liev croaked.

"It's good to see you again Liev." Liev felt his smile deepen.

"I'd have thought you'd have seen a lot of me what with you staying in my room and all." Abhainn sighed, though Liev detected a twinge of amusement.

"You know what I meant you silly boy."

Liev lay back on his bed, revelling in the warmth and comfort it offered. He sighed as the aching gradually receded to a dull throb, and wondered how long he'd been out for.

The door to his room opened and Yael stepped in with what looked like a bouquet.

"Oh ho? And what have we here?" Abhainn asked. Yael glanced at the blade in bemusement.

"Grandpa Gildarts said you should give flowers to people in hospital." She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'd have preferred something to eat." Liev interjected and Yael spun in his direction, a wide grin splitting her face.

"Hey you're awake! It's about time."

"I'd agree with you if I didn't ache so much. How long have I been out this time?"

"Two weeks." Abhainn answered before Yael could speak herself. Liev blanched.

"Two whole weeks! Alright sure I was pretty beat up; I mean I was kind of there and all but seriously?"

"Liev I don't think you understand quite how bad your condition was. They said you _died _for a few minutes."

Now that was a shock.

"It was only when Wendy showed up that they managed to restart your heart."

Liev sank into his bed.

_I died. I could have really…_

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

_I guess that's one more I owe Ms. Marvell. But still…_

Trying to take his mind off his temporary death Liev thought of a subject to bring up.

"So what exactly have I missed?" he asked Yael.

"Not much," she shrugged "Grandpa Gildarts was pretty mad we got attacked that close to Magnolia. He wants to talk to you about it by the way." Liev had mixed feelings about this, but didn't dwell on it.

"Anything else?"

Yael stretched her arms out and folded them behind her head, donning a thoughtful expression for a moment before shaking her head.

"No. That's about it. Went on a job with Asuka, Elias and Alicia a few days ago but other than that: nothing."

Liev hummed in understanding; though he had a niggling feeling there was something Yael wasn't telling him.

The feeling died almost immediately when Abhainn – feeling quite left out of the conversation – suddenly decided to grace the two adolescents an impossibly good joke involving a matchstick, a fire mage and a lacrima.

Even though he ached, Liev felt that he could use a good laugh.

Once he calmed down he took a deep breath and then fixed Yael with a serious look.

"Yael. Once I'm out of here, we're going to practise together, every day for at least a couple of hours. I have to get stronger to ki– to _beat_ that guy." Yael's grin seemed to widen if such a thing was possible.

"Hell yeah! Best way to get better is to fight for real! I'm getting so fired up I could…" unable to contain her excitement she ignited her fists and threw several quick jabs before launching a flying spin kick that almost connected with Liev's head. Realising what she'd almost done she powered down and apologised, quite abashed at her performance.

_Now this is certainly a strange sight._

But not an entirely unwelcome one if he was being honest with himself.

Liev took a breath and gazed at the ceiling. He thought about his memories, and his life from that point on. The Second's training, his growing up in Night Reaper, Ein Malizer and his taking control of the Guild, and finally the business with Yael and her Guild. He suppressed a smirk as he realised it should be 'his' Guild too now, yet he still didn't feel truly a part of Fairy Tail, his lack of magic ability being just one factor. There was an aura about the Guild and the people who inhabited it; it was jovial, warm, fun even. Yet Liev found that in the instances he'd spent in the Guild building he couldn't join in with them.

Somehow he doubted he ever would.

He'd never felt at home in Night Reaper. Not even with the Second who'd been the closest thing to family Liev could remember, and even then there wasn't much evidence proving he'd ever felt the same way. While he certainly found it preferable, he felt the same feeling of isolation in Fairy Tail as well.

_Maybe some of us are destined to be alone._ He mused to himself. The thought didn't pain him quite as much as he thought it would.

He killed some time chatting with Yael and Abhainn, then, when a nurse arrived to inform the girl that visiting hours were over she left, promising that she'd catch up with him tomorrow. He leaned back into his pillow and shut his eyes, wondering what the near future would hold.

**X**

**I hate writing endings. No matter how much I spend typing and retyping them out I never feel the words adequately convey what I'm trying to get across. Maybe it's down to the fact that I'm a bit of a perfectionist and that I'm never really happy with anything I hand in or write down.**

**Another thing I hate writing is chapter titles. Like this one for instance; the title I thought would best suit it was 'Memories' and while there certainly is a segment on that it's hardly the focus at all. Any better ideas would be most welcome.**

**Comments are appreciated. Constructive comments even more so.**

**Ta**


	7. A Job by the Coast

**I've not really got all that much to say for myself here, so I'll save it for after the story where less of you are likely to read it.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Seven: A Job by the Coast**

"Again." The old man barked.

The boy dropped into a hasty fighting stance before launching himself at his opponent, blade flashing and cleaving through the air. The assassin stumbled backwards, surprised at the boy's sudden ferocity, but quickly regained his footing and drew his own weapon – a billhook – into the boy's guard before dragging the boy's broadsword sharply skywards, leaving his opponent entirely open. Two slaps with the pole of the weapon and the boy fell on his behind, smarting from another defeat.

The old man allowed the ghost of a smile to grace his grizzled, hairy features.

"Better, but still not enough."

"Hey Second, can I go now? This looks like a waste of my time." The assassin seemed bored, entirely at odds with his youthful, appearance and his bright, attention-grabbing attire.

"You'll go when I say you can Udil and not a moment before. Now… again."

The young man sighed in defeat and spun his weapon in one hand before bringing it parallel to the earth, bending his legs and facing the boy in what seemed like a half-crouch. Suddenly he sprang, bill hook spinning. The boy batted the first strike aside with little difficulty but Udil had already recovered and in the blink of an eye the other end of the weapon struck at the boy's head.

The boy ducked and lashed out with a swipe, nicking Udil's cheek. The older boy paused a moment and touched the scratch, gazing absently at the blood on his fingers before a predatory grin split his face and he recommenced his assault, even more furious that before. The boy – previously hard pressed against Udil beforehand – stood no chance against this fresh onslaught, and the boy quickly found himself on the floor of the practise cage again, panting from exertion.

The old man sighed.

"Alright Udil, you can get lost now." Udil gave the barest of acknowledgements before turning to leave the practise cage, where some Guild observers hollered and called out to him.

The Second Guild Master of Night Reaper hauled Liev to his feet, watching as the boy weakly dusted himself off. It was obvious to any casual observer that the young boy was exhausted. He'd progressed marvellously but his lack of stamina remained a problem, and any prolonged exercise left him breathless, and breathless meant defenceless.

"What exactly am I going to do with you boy?" he wondered aloud. Liev glanced at him curiously, but the Second paid him no heed, turning to leave the cages and motioning for Liev to follow.

**-X-**

Liev awoke slowly to the entirely unwelcome sound of snoring. Turning his head he found Yael next to him.

_I'd swear I told her to leave last evening._

He sighed and got himself up, noticing as he left the comfort of the sheet that Yael appeared to be fully clothed, though strangely enough he wasn't sure if he felt relieved or disappointed.

_Eh. I'm a growing guy. Hormones, that's it. _He reasoned as he made towards his tiny bathroom in order to run himself a warm bath.

"Good morning lover boy." Abhainn teased, Liev turned his head sharply at the voice, then realised it was the blade and visibly relaxed.

"I think you'd better keep it down a little," Liev shushed, pressing a finger lightly to his lips, "remember that she can hear you too."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," the bound spirit confessed. Liev offered a slight smile.

"Me either," he replied honestly.

"Gods this Guild is just one big barrel of surprises isn't it?"

"Tell me about it." Liev nodded in agreement, pausing when he noticed Yael begin to stir. He glanced at Abhainn and pressed his finger more firmly to his lips and then stepped into the bathroom.

"You know, I really don't think running a bath in the next room is going to be any more quiet than us talking." Abhainn called, startling Liev and prompting him to slam the door in surprise, wincing at the sudden noise.

_I suppose she's right though, I probably should have thought this through. Then again I didn't think she'd stay over… again…_

It was at that moment that Liev realised when he'd made friends with Yael he'd probably gained a housemate for life. It was a strange feeling; one that wasn't entirely welcome.

_Wonder why she stays at mine though. She's definitely not lonely._

He decided that he'd ask her later after he'd had a bath, he still ached from their spar last evening. Raising an arm and taking a quick draft of his underarm, he decided that he also stank after he finished gagging.

_How could she _stand_ sleeping next to me like _this? _Ugh. I'm going to need to change my bed linen too. Damnit._

The bath was done within a few minutes; Liev stripped and placed himself in the tub, sighing in satisfaction as the warmth enveloped his body.

_I don't think there's anything on the world than can compare with this feeling._

A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie.

"Yael? That you?" Liev called.

"Yeah," came her reply through the door, "you busy in there or something?" she asked.

"Just taking a bath," he replied softly, still revelling in the comforting warmth of the bathwater.

"Oh, that's perfect. Wait a minute; I'll be there in a sec."

"Sounds good."

Ten seconds passed.

Damn _this feels good._

Twenty.

_I wonder what Yael wante–_

Twenty-five.

_Wait…_

Thirty.

_WAIT!_

The door opened and Yael's cheery voice echoed throughout the tiny room just as Liev began to protest.

"Okay, all good!" she called cheerily as she stepped inside, lacking even a towel to guard her modesty.

It was one of the greatest things Liev had ever seen, and one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

He quickly swivelled around, turning his back to Yael. He tried furiously to regain control of his vocabulary and give voice to the thoughts in his head that weren't screaming for him to act according to his raging hormones. Too late, he felt part of his anatomy react _very _happily to her presence.

_Come to think of it I think this is actually the first time I've seen a girl like this before. _He thought to himself before dunking his head underwater and reviling himself for the far from appropriate thought.

_Her dad is a fire-breathing powerhouse who fights Dragons with his bare hands. Her uncle or grandpa or whatever is the master of the strongest Mages Guild in the country and can crush continents with his bare hands. I don't know her mom but she's probably scary strong too! Calm down. Calm down and speak before this gets any –_

– too late. She slipped into the tub behind him, sighing contentedly. Liev could hear Abhainn cackling in the other room, cheering encouragement to both teens.

_It would be so much easier if I could faint from embarrassment right about now._

"Hey, Liev, what's up? You seem pretty tense." Yael asked curiously as she placed a hand on Liev's shoulder, who flinched at the touch.

"What's wrong?" she seemed genuinely curious.

_How the hell was this girl brought up? _Liev wondered to himself incredulously.

"Um," He stammered "Yael?"

"Hm?" the young Dragon Slayer perked up attentively.

"Why… uh… you're… bath…" the words wouldn't come. His mouth felt like a desert.

"What? The bath? I always take baths with my friends." She replied as if it were all too obvious.

_Does that mean she's shared a tub with the others? Even Davis? _He felt a twinge of jealousy but quashed it as soon as it appeared; now was not the time.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Liev stood up suddenly, much to Yael's surprise. He stepped outside the rub and quickly threw a towel over himself, ensuring to keep his back to Yael.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he lied "I just remembered I need to do something soon so…" he trailed off, simply stepping outside the bathroom and shutting the door before drying himself.

"What, done already? That was fast," Abhainn jabbed.

"Not now. Please."

"Gotta say, she's an absolute stunner; can you imagine what she'll look like in seven years' time?" Liev felt his face redden and furiously rubbed his head dry.

"You know, anyone now would think you bat for the other team or something."

Liev glared at the blade, pure malevolence burning in his gaze. He grabbed a sheet and tossed it over the blade, ignoring the spirit's protests and threats.

_Shame it doesn't shut her up. _Liev thought grumpily as he pulled his clothes on; his usual pair of tan cargo shorts and a black short sleeved shirt with a band logo long since rendered unintelligible by excessive wear. He trudged downstairs into the kitchen and grabbed himself a couple of buns and some jam spread, wolfing them down as he realised he was fairly hungry.

A moment after he finished Yael joined him, dragging Abhainn with her. Angry words and insults were shot off like machine gun bullets from the blade but Liev ignored them. Yael simply looked bemused, and found her own food.

"So what did you have to do?" Yael asked him when she had finished. Liev decided to change the topic instead of thinking up an excuse; with all that had happened he doubted he had it in him at this point.

"You know I think I should take a job or something, those starting funds that the Master gave me are pretty much all gone now," as he hoped, that took her mind off Liev's little fib and she jumped excitedly.

"You can come with me and the others! We were going to take a job today but Davis said he couldn't come cause his dad was taking him somewhere or something." Liev had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand he needed the money, and it might be an idea to make nice with Yael's friends (particularly Rana, who still seemed a little upset over his lack of trust, in spite of the fact it had been a full two weeks since). On the other, the image from earlier persisted in making itself at home in Liev's head…

_Oh grow up Liev. You're a big boy now. Tough it out, focus on the job and you can worry about Yael's perky pink –_

The slam could be heard for almost a mile around. Consequently, Liev was also required to patch his forehead up.

**-X-**

The Guild was as rambunctious as ever; a brawl appearing to have recently finished while Gildarts spectated, amusement all too clear to see on his wizened features. He gave Yael a friendly wave as she entered with Liev in tow, who hunched his shoulders a fraction as if trying to pass unnoticed. Rana and Alicia sat at an undamaged table (presumably far from where the fighting had taken place), and waved them over.

"So Sleeping Beauty joins us does he?" Rana teased, a sly smirk on her face.

"Nice to see you Liev, how are you Liev? Been up to much lately?" Liev said, faintly mocking. He'd learned to take much of what she said lightly; she was a teasing sort and fretting over everything she said would only end up giving him grey hairs.

"Hello."

By comparison, Alicia's greeting was pretty bog standard. Liev still wasn't entirely sure what to think of her. He knew from his first bout with her that she was a capable fighter and that her magic was similar to Re-quip, but her personality was an unknown factor. She gave a strict, no-nonsense aura with her stern gaze and the plate bodysuit she seemed to wear near-constantly. A faint jangling drew his attention to a bracelet on her wrist; an acronym appeared to be etched onto the metal plat: 'W.W.E.D.', he felt himself raise an eyebrow quizzically but didn't speak to pry.

"So, shall we go?" Rana asked before standing.

"What, no planning? Not even the briefest mention of what this job entails for the guy who tagged on at the last minute?" Liev asked dryly, "I'm beginning to wonder if you've got something against me."

"Perish the thought my dear," Rana replied, an impish grin splitting her face, "besides there's not all that much to it: simple pest extermination, that's all."

Liev raised a brow.

"Not buying it," he said dismissively, "there's no way they'd send a job to exterminate a bunch of insects to a mage's guild…" _would they?_

'_The answer to that is no,' _Rana's voice echoed through his head, _'but I've said nothing about insects; that's just you assuming things.'_

"Okay so what exactly have we been tasked with removing then?" Liev asked, fingering Abhainn's grip for a moment before releasing it and dropping his arm to his side. The impish grin faded, replaced by a look of mild indifference.

"I dunno," she replied, shrugging her shoulders, "the request wasn't entirely clear. It just asked for help exterminating some critters in this guy's castle down by the coast. Since we were feeling adventurous we decided to take it on."

Liev wasn't entirely surprised by Rana's declaration to take on the unknown based on the general mood of her group of friends. The teaching drilled into him by the Second screamed for him to find out as much as possible before even contemplating on taking the task, but he wasn't an assassin anymore. Besides, this was probably the mantra here.

'_You have no idea.'_

Liev frowned at her intrusion. He supposed he should be used to it – he'd been subject to it enough times – but there wasn't really anything that could truly prepare you for a voice that isn't your own suddenly reverberating throughout your skull.

"Boldly going into the unknown with no plan, no backup, and no clue. That's what you guys do every day is it?" Liev asked.

"Not at all," Rana shook her head, "we've always got our friends beside us. Can't speak for the other two though."

Liev chuckled softly.

"What do you think of that Abhainn?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at the hilt of the blade strapped to his back. He received no response.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." He said absent-mindedly as he recalled that he'd tossed his blanket over her. One thing she loathed with a passion was being covered up; she'd probably spend the rest of the day sulking.

"Well I suppose it gives some of us some peace and quiet." He muttered aloud, the faintest of smirks decorating his face. He heard Abhainn harrumph behind him.

He noticed Alicia giving him a curious look.

"It's… uh..." he wasn't entirely sure how he could explain it in a way that wouldn't sound like he was crazy. Thankfully Rana came to his rescue.

"His weapon speaks – says something's sealed inside it or something."

"Really?" Alicia raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"It's true," Yael piped up, "I can hear her too."

"You can? And what do you mean 'her'?"

"She says she's a fairy," Liev heard Abhainn snort in derision at his explanation.

"'Says she's a fairy' he says…" the bound spirit muttered darkly to herself.

"She speaks at last." Liev noted, he waited but still got no response.

"A fairy? Really?" Alicia seemed to perk up at the information.

"I wouldn't bother asking, I've asked her a bunch of times to tell me what her life was like before… well, you know. She won't say anything."

"You big fat liar!" Abhainn screeched into Liev's ear, "you asked _once_ and it was years back! I bet you don't even remember what I told you then either."

"You told me to ask about it later. I pretended to forget, hoping that you'd tell me yourself." Abhainn started, then stopped. It almost seemed like she was actually humbled by the exchange.

"Well I'm certainly not going to tell you now you've given me so much attitude – covering me up and spouting nonsense to get a reaction. Hmph! I don't think I'll tell you even if you beg and vow to serve me for a lifetime."

"With you around I really don't think I'd last that long anyway," Liev returned before drawing his attention back to the three mages before him, "so, when are we leaving and what should I bring?"

"Just some basic travelling supplies: food, water, cash if you've got any. We'll be taking the train down there." Yael turned pale.

"Why do we have to take the train? Can't we walk? It'd be some good exercise and –"

"It'd take us a whole three days to get there," Rana interrupted, "it's only for a couple of hours, you can last that long, don't worry."

Liev, observing Yael, tapped Alicia on her armoured shoulder and pointed to Yael.

"What's her deal?" he asked.

"Oh, that's right, you've not been with us on a job before have you? Well, Yael gets motion sickness. Really, really bad motion sickness." Liev nodded in understanding.

"So she does have weaknesses," he murmured. Yael shot him a dirty look.

"Okay, so when do we leave?" Liev asked.

"We'll meet at the station in about an hour, how does that sound?" Rana told him. Liev nodded.

"Anything else I should know?" he asked.

"The place is supposed to be pretty warm so don't wear anything thick, and – Yael – no excessive punishment. We're supposed to be cleaning the place, not redecorating," Rana noticed Liev's curious look and raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously? You don't know?"

"Know what?" he asked.

"We're the strongest Guild in Fiore, not the most restrained. Usually when we do a job, stuff gets broken. Lots of it."

Liev glanced at her in surprise, checking the others for confirmation. Yael had suddenly found the ceiling very interesting and whistled innocently while Alicia turned her head and coughed.

"How do you people still get work if you've got a reputation like that?" Liev asked. A self-satisfied smirk graced Rana's elfin features.

"We get the job done and we get it done fast. No one questions that. Besides it isn't like we break things _every _time we do a job. People just pray that when we take a job it's one of those times."

That sounded less than convincing to Liev but he supposed that as long as he wasn't on the receiving end he could live with it. The group exchanged brief pleasantries before leaving to get themselves sorted out for their job.

**-X-**

The castle sat atop the edge of a cliff, perched so precariously it seemed as if a single tap would send it crashing to the waves that lashed at the rock. The edifice itself seemed almost crooked in appearance, like an old man coming to the end of his time on earth.

Black, lifeless stone held together with dull, grey cement, forming dull architecture and uninspired high-rises that would not have looked at all out of place in a gothic horror setting. With the sun beating down, the clear blue sky overhead and the countryside spread out all around though it only made the castle stand out – a blemish on an otherwise perfect picture.

"Nice place," Liev said with a grimace, "seen cheerier graveyards but to each his own I guess."

Rana shushed him and gave Yael a reassuring pat on the back. The young Dragon Slayer was still groggy from the train ride, clutching her stomach and groaning as if she were about to be violently ill. Liev turned his gaze away from her. Since the incident this morning he'd found it difficult to look at the girl for extended periods of time.

_I need something to take my mind off of that._

'_Take your mind off of what?'_

_Messiah-on-a-stick, will I ever get _any _peace from you?_

'_I'm no fortune teller but I don't think it's looking good for you on that front. Now what happened?'_

Reigning in his panic, Liev thought about anything. The earliest training session with the Second he could remember, the Guild Hall and his growing up there, the fight with Ein Malizer…

'_You're learning. Good boy. I'll leave you be this time just because I'm so proud of you.'_

Liev waited for her voice to reappear in her head, continuing his random train of thought as the group of mages continued up towards the castle. They'd almost reached the gates and still nothing, so Liev decided to finally let it slip. Still nothing, and Rana seemed to be more preoccupied talking to Alicia.

A droopy looking man waited by the main gates. He seemed to be in his twilight years, his hair grey, his posture stooping and his shoulders slumped as if perpetually tired, dressed in a black butler's coat and a grey, buttoned undershirt with a black tie. His face appeared simply aged, not wizened. The word Liev would have used to describe him would have been 'fragile', or 'feeble', though that sounded more bitter than Liev wanted.

"Are you the mages the young madam requested?" The old butler's voice was thin and reedy, and Liev found himself wondering if the man was really able to continue working.

"We are indeed Mr…" Rana decided to act as the speaker for their concierge, which suited Liev just fine seeing how he knew precious little about the job.

"Oh, my name isn't important little miss," the old man replied genially, "I'm simply here to wait for a group of mages and allow them into the holiday home. Here…" he said as he pulled a key from an inside pocket before pushing it into the lock and turning it sharply before opening the portal.

"Good luck. The creatures who have taken up residence here are rather vicious beasts."

"We'll be fine sir," Alicia said, offering a warm smile.

"Yeah, we deal with things like this all the time," Yael added cheerily as she and the other two stepped inside.

Liev was about to follow when the old butler put a hand on his shoulders.

"Watch out for them young man," the butler asked, his hand seemed so brittle Liev feared it would snap off if he moved too suddenly, "a true gentleman never allows a lady to be bloodied while he can help it."

Liev thought for a moment before lightly taking the old butler's hand off his shoulder and stepping inside.

"Not that I won't do my best," Liev told him, "but the fact of the matter is that those girls are probably a lot stronger than I am."

With that, he entered the castle, hearing the gates shut behind him.

"So, you decided to join us did you? I was beginning to think you'd chickened out," came Rana's voice from up ahead.

"No you weren't," Liev said with a snort, tugging at the midnight cloak around his collar so as to loosen it a fraction.

"If that's all Rana?" Alicia's tone was reprehensive and brooked no argument. Rana held up her hands in mock surrender and didn't say another word.

The four mages stood in the centre of a large courtyard. A large, withered tree sat in the middle of the courtyard, the only other even slightly interesting sight being a quaint, metal table with a couple of chairs pulled up next to it. The rest of the courtyard was stone tiles spreading out in every direction.

"Not very imaginative," Liev muttered to himself.

Rana tapped a finger lightly against her chin before stopping and glancing at the others.

"I think we should split up," she said.

"Right. Big, grim, dark castle and she wants us to split up. Don't you read horror stories?" Liev asked.

"I'm living in one right now," Rana murmured as she took in her environment, "but there's too much ground for us all to cover together. It'd take us far too long."

A cheeky smile suddenly split her face as she looked at him.

"Or don't you feel you can handle it on your own, is that it tough guy?" Liev rolled his eyes and drew Abhainn, his fingers strumming the grip of the blade as he rested the flat of the blade on his shoulder, eyeing the large building.

"Fine. Whatever," he sighed at last, "but if you get into trouble I'm not going to bail you out," he warned.

"Fine," she replied, "I mean it's not like I've got other friends I can rely on here. No siree."

Yael, deciding that she was now bored of the talking, strolled up to the door to the keep and entered it without a word.

"Well, I guess I'll go this way then," Alicia informed the other two as she took a side door, leaving Rana and Liev on their own.

"You going to pick a side then?" Rana asked him casually.

"Ladies first."

"If you insist."

With that, she took a door directly to Liev's right. She stopped before she entered however, instead turning to Liev.

"Oh, and by the way. Yael doesn't bathe with us."

Liev's jaw dropped.

"She _what?!_" he bellowed in disbelief. Rana giggled and shut the door behind her, leaving Liev slack-jawed in the centre of the courtyard.

"Now that I didn't see coming," Abhainn said thoughtfully.

Liev closed his mouth before something flew into it and regarded the weapon resting on his shoulder.

"I thought you weren't speaking."

She didn't reply.

Grumbling to himself about treacherous telepaths and uncooperative spirits, Liev chose a door leading into what appeared to be a small armoury.

"I thought this was a holiday home," he spoke aloud, "what would the guy need something like this for?"

He was brought out of his musings by a soft hiss. He whirled around, Abhainn brought up and his body relaxing into a defensive stance.

_Where–_

_Up there!_

A blur crashed into the flat of Abhainn, almost knocking Liev off his feet. He braced his legs and pushed, forcing his assailant off him.

The creature was lizard-like in its appearance, coming up just shorter than Liev's chest in height; it had a barrel chest, two short, stumpy legs and a pair of leathery, scaled wings. A long, eyeless head sat on the end of a slim but powerful serpent-like neck, possessing a jaw full of dagger sharp teeth. It looked almost like a–

"Wyvern…" Abhainn breathed wondrously, "I thought they were extinct… strange though, I remember them being much bigger than this."

"Fascinating," Liev grunted as the Wyvern attacked again, snapping its jaws at him. Liev dived under the attack and thrust Abhainn through the creature's soft underbelly, gutting the beast.

"Hey!" Abhainn shouted, "you can't do this! This is a rare, endangered creature!" she protested.

"Quit your whining," Liev snarled as he withdrew the blade, turning his gaze to the ceiling, where dozens of hissing Wyverns hung from the rafters and beans holding the roof up.

"Endangered eh?" Liev mocked, crouching as the first Wyvern descended, landing heavily scant feet away from him, its long neck arching and its jaws slavering.

"I think this will work out pretty well for me," Liev spoke his thoughts aloud, "I've needed live opponents I can cut, and if they're all just hungry critters then I won't have to feel too guilty about killing them all."

"Gods above, listen to me!" Abhainn yelled.

"Okay; first of all: the client's asked us to clean this place out. I really don't think letting them live would work for him. Secondly; they don't seem that likely to try and let me take a few alive. Them or me partner, and I've grown rather fond of living."

Abhainn breathed a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"Don't expect me to congratulate you when this horror is over. This is a crime against nature."

"Thank you. Now pipe down. It's difficult to concentrate with you talking in the middle of a fight."

The first of the Wyvern's struck suddenly, its jaws darting for Liev's throat.

Liev swayed to the side and let the sightless creature pass him by before slicing up sharply, beheading the Wyvern.

"Next," Liev muttered as another Wyvern dropped itself from its perch.

And another.

And another…

_Oh boy…_

**-X-**

**All right… I'd like to apologise for the extremely long wait. If you follow me as an author, you'll probably know that I've released two other stories for Resident Evil recently which have received pretty regular updates, and one of which – the most recently submitted – is a collaborative effort between me and a friend. Let me say that this in no way, shape or form means that this or any of my other on-going pieces of work on this site have been cancelled or put on hiatus. As I said; I never forget about my stories, I'm just never consistent with regards to working on them.**

**Much of this is my own fault in that – so far – I've never really properly planned out a story I've submitted here, ergo there are occasions where I'm not entirely sure where to take a story. In the case of one of the RE stories I actually did draft a basic storyboard, and me and my friend discuss the other fairly regularly through PMs and Instant Messenger.**

**Regardless, hopefully this will reassure you that this is far from forgotten. Hell I'd go so far as to say that this is actually my favourite story to write, which probably prompts some of you to now ask yourselves: 'well if that's the case zippo then why aren't updates more frequent?'**

**I can't really give a satisfying (or convincing) answer to that, so I'll just have to leave it with 'until next time'. Hope you enjoyed it, and constructive comments are always welcome.**

**Cheers**


	8. Of Wyverns, Fairies and Reapers

**So... long time no see.**

**A Reaper's Tail**

**Chapter Eight: Of Wyverns, Fairies and Reapers in the Night**

The wyvern screeched as Liev drove Abhainn into its long, wriggly neck. He cursed as the blade chopped through half the neck before grinding to a painful halt. The beast was practically dead, but Liev's momentum was brought to a sudden halt. He suppressed a pained yell as a wyvern bit into his side; in that same instant all the other wounds the creatures had caused him seemed to flare into blazing existence.

A feral howl escaped Liev's lips, who all of a sudden, was ten years old and in the cage at Night Reaper locked inside with a group of half-starved tiger-hounds. He pulled Abhainn free of the dying wyvern and, releasing a hand, hammered it into the creature's beady black eyes. The monster hissed and relinquished its grip, but Liev saw that the monster had a taste for him now. His blood dripped from the wickedly sharp teeth that lined the dragon-breed's mouth.

Bellowing in fury, supplemented by his own pain, Liev hefted Abhainn and, with one great swing, lopped the monster's head off. He had barely a moment to recuperate before another wyvern dove at him, snapping its jaw, clamouring for the blood that ran in rivulets down Liev's aching limbs and stained his torn clothes. Liev growled in mounting frustration. He must have slain more than a hundred wyverns yet there seemed to be thousands occupying the armoury and they were beginning to wear him down. His vision was already getting fuzzy from blood loss and Abhainn seemed heavier with each swing.

"Liev! Hang in there, partner I really don't want to be left alone with no one to talk to!"

Abhainn's words were far from comforting and if he had the breath to do it, he'd have told her as much. He grit his teeth and placed Abhainn in front of him as the Wyvern lunged for his throat, clamping his jaws down on the blade. The wyvern's teeth shattered like glass and the Wyvern withdrew, screeching in agony. Liev thrust at the reeling monster with Abhainn twice and the beast fell, joining its kin in whatever hell monsters were sent to.

He was about to deal an underhanded swipe at the next contestant, but a sharp agony burrowed through his right ankle and he saw that one of the wyverns had slipped around him and was currently gnawing on his leg. A similar pain shot through his left bicep and, true enough, there was another of the monsters with its teeth buried in the meat of his arm. Nerves flared and, again, all the wounds dealt to him thus far flared into white-hot pain once more.

Liev didn't fight the weakness that threatened to overcome him. He couldn't. He was entirely spent. He'd given a good account of himself but against such numbers what was mere individual skill?

Abhainn fell from his hands, clattering to the dusty stone floor with a din that sounded like funeral bells. A clawed foot pushed the battered teen over onto his back, pinning him in place and the head of another wyvern filled his fading vision, leering hungrily at him through those soulless black eyes. The creature raised its head, opening its maw, Liev knew what it was about to do. It was going to punch through his soft belly and gorge itself on the organs within.

Mustering up one last breath of defiance, Liev spat out what he very much believed were his final words with enough venom to corrode steel:

"I hope you choke on them!"

The wyvern tilted its head, wondering at the sound before suddenly lunging, its drooling maw and glinting teeth all too eager to rend and tear–

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"**

The wall of the armoury exploded. Rubble pattered against the beasts closest to the crushed wall, causing them to duck and cover their heads with their leathery wings. Several scaly limbs and extremities were broken by some larger fragments of the wall and the armoury was filled with the sound of hissing confusion.

Yael stood in the gap she'd created, her arms wreathed in eldritch flame. She had always struck Liev as a wild girl, but now her expression was almost feral, and Liev thought he could make out veins bulging as she fought to control her seething rage. Liev also noticed that she was in a similar state of disorder to himself; her white tank top that sat underneath her dark overcoat was torn away completely under her ribcage, and her midnight blue shorts were missing a leg. She was covered in nicks and cuts, and Liev surmised that she had likely encountered more wyverns.

The dust began to settle and Yael's eyes fell on Liev. Her eyes widened a fraction and then the armoury exploded in scorching heat. Sweating wyverns trilled aimlessly at each other, still reeling from Yael's sudden appearance. One stupid beast actually dared to snap at the new arrival, a lunge that would have taken an ordinary person's throat before they'd have had time to react.

Yael Dragneel was far removed from such standards deemed 'ordinary'.

She swayed backwards like a professional fighter, the lunging wyvern's open mouth passing harmlessly in front of her. She drove her knee into its gut with all the force of a sledgehammer, winding the creature. In that same instant she brought both flame-wreathed hands above her head and drove them down. The wyvern was flattened against the ground and did not stir again.

All that had taken place in the span of a second.

Then she went to work on the rest of the monsters.

Sensing fresh meat, the wyverns that had previously contented themselves with chewing on Liev put a hold on their current meal and charged towards the enraged Dragon Slayer. Yael was a whirlwind of fiery wrath. Her eyes were unfocused and her lips were curled into a feral snarl. Her movements were unnaturally quick and precise. At that moment she seemed no longer human; instead a fiery god, her whole body, from the tips of her toes to her salmon hair almost ablaze as she smote the monsters assailing her.

It was magnificent to behold, and it left Liev and his partner utterly breathless; fixated on the scene of carnage before them. As Liev watched, he understood the gap between him and the young Dragon Slayer. He understood that her power was an ageless thing, a magic born from a time where beings such as the Wyvern and the Dragon were commonplace. He would strive, and train, but he could never match her, could never be her equal. Her sheer potential appeared bottomless.

The realisation seemed to take his remaining strength from him and his head fell to the cold floor with a dull thump. He felt himself almost shiver at the thought of monstrous powerhouses like Yael existing in the world. He doubted even Ein Malizer could beat her as she was now. He craned his head a fraction so that he might be able to continue observing the one-sided slaughter of the wyverns, watching Yael dance, envy and admiration burning equally bright in his chest.

A sudden grip on his lapels snapped his attention from the display. He twisted his head to see what was up and caught a glimpse of a hooded figure waving a hand over his head.

"**Deep Sleep," **the figure muttered softly and Liev felt a build-up of magical power in the figure's hand before fatigue overwhelmed him.

**-X-**

Liev felt consciousness return gradually to him. With it came pain that seemed to flood his whole body but that just meant he was still breathing and that – if nothing else – all his limbs were still attached. It was pitch black, but he heard voices which were becoming more and more clear, which meant he was either blindfolded or locked in a very dark room. He couldn't feel anything on his face, so the room thing was probably more likely.

"It doesn't matter! The fact remains that the light guilds know about us! We need to act before it's too late!"

The first voice was high-pitched and nasally. Liev imagined that whoever it belonged to was spectacularly unpleasant to look at.

"What? They know and only sent four mages? Surely you're not naïve enough to think that the Council wouldn't crack down on us themselves if they knew."

The next was deep and throaty. _Probably a big guy_, Liev though to himself.

"It could simply be a scouting party! Plus you saw the mark on the one we took! _Fairy Tail!_ And I'm all but certain the Fire-Dragon Slayer out there too! Tell him Null you saw it all happen."

The next voice was unmistakably female, with a playful tinge that grated on Liev's nerves for some reason.

"All I saw was a blaze that our little subjects were all too eager to roast themselves in," the female replied, "It could simply have been flame construct magic, we've seen it before. Dealt with it too."

"Bullcrap! I know construct magic and from the raw, uncontrollable power outside it would have to be an amateur mage with a exceptional power reserves to give a similar effect and if there was such a mage we'd know. No my friends; Fairy Tail's Dragon Hatchling is here. The daughter of the Salamander himself! The–"

"We're all familiar with the reputation of the more… destructive Fairy Tail mages and their titles,' the woman interrupted, the playful tinge gone, replaced by soft irritation.

Liev heard footsteps echo from outside the room he was locked into, and then a new voice joined the conversation. This one however Liev was all too familiar with.

"What's all the bellyaching about?" the newcomer had a rough, sandpapery tone that made the question sound like a demand. For a moment, Liev was wondering simply whether or not he was hearing things but that voice sounded suspiciously like–

"Kharver! What are you doing here? I thought the master had hired you to–"

A sudden, fleshy smack, followed by a gasp of pain told Liev that the speaker had been rudely interrupted. That, coupled with the name left no doubt that Night Reaper's own Kurtis Kharver was indeed here. What exactly he and his abductors had in common he didn't know, but he felt he was about to find out.

"The butler's high-tailed it," Kharver responded gruffly, "or gone into hiding. Seeing how we're not likely to find him anytime soon – and even if we did, the fact that a light guild's found its way to our doorstep has rendered it all moot – your Master has paid me a not insignificant amount to watch over the operation and make sure no one screws it up, be it a light guild…" he trailed off, the threat all too clear.

_Ah. Money. I should have known. But what's this operation they're on about?_

"What's with the blood trail? Someone get themselves bitten by one of those monsters?" Kharver asked.

"We managed to capture one of the Fairies battling up above us. He was in a pretty sorry state. Probably would have done better if he'd used magic instead of that sword."

It was the woman, Null, who spoke up in reply.

"I didn't think mages used weapons," Kharver sniffed, then silence reigned for a moment and Liev could almost feel Kharver stiffen.

"That one did. Big blade it was too. Almost curious enough to check if the boy's compensating for something," Null replied, the amusement all too plain to hear. Liev felt himself redden, which only made his wounds hurt more. For some reason the pain didn't seem to be dying down, and felt just as bad as it did before he'd passed out.

_No. Put to sleep._

Clearly there was something at play here. The fearful references to light guilds and the Council made Liev think that there was a group of dark guild mages here, and that they had something to do with the wyvern infestation. Liev also guessed from what Kharver had said that he was here, originally, to kill the butler. Why? Did the butler know about this operation? What about the owner of the castle? Unless…

His train of thought was broken by a sudden bellow and a cry of agony.

"You fools! You absolute Gods-damned fools!" Kharver roared.

"You idiots took a prisoner and didn't think to conceal the tracks?! Dragon Slayers have a sense of smell like bloodhounds you morons! You could have led them right to…" he trailed off as new, faint voices reached Liev's ears. His heart soared as he realised that he recognised them.

"Fantastic bleeding work," Kharver growled, "you: weasel-face, I want you to teleport everything of import out of here. I'll take the Fairy."

"Why do you care so much? You're only hired hel–" the nasally voiced mage was cut off with a gurgle.

"I'm getting paid to make sure you incompetent baboons do your jobs. The better you do, the more I make. I start making less? I start taking compensation from you." Kharver sounded just as brutal as Liev remembered him. He heard a thud as Kharver dropped the speaker to the ground and heard heavy footsteps tread closer to Liev's position.

Suddenly a door was thrown open and Liev was bathed in dusky light. Kharver towered over him, pausing for a moment as he took in Liev's appearance. He recognised him, without a doubt.

"Well, well… aren't you a sorry sight," he sounded almost amused. Liev bared his teeth in a gesture of defiance.

Kharver cut an intimidating figure. He was almost seven feet tall, heavily built, with tinted goggles and a khaki-camouflage rag that concealed his face from view. He wore bright beige cargo trousers, heavy combat boots and was bare-chested beneath a leather jacket that displayed a plethora of scars he'd earned on various jobs. Two brutal, spiked steel gauntlets that ran from knuckle to elbow adorned his hands. Neither had been washed for years, and dried blood was firmly ingrained upon each of Kharver's favourite weapons.

"You know, the Third's really got it out for you. If I brought your pretty little backside to him on a platter I wonder if he'd give me a reward…" Kharver continued as if he'd not noticed Liev's little act but drove a steel-toed boot into Liev's gut anyway, doubling him over.

"Hell with it, worth a shot. At the very least he'll give me less of a hard time," Kharver had been one of the Second's favourites, which meant he was pretty high-up on Ein Malizer's list of people he wanted dead. Most of the favourites he'd killed himself in the Reaper Cages. Only those who pledged their absolute, unswerving loyalty or deemed far too useful for Ein to bump off remained untouched. Liev had remained alive only because Ein believed he could shape Liev into a tool as he grew older.

Too bad for him Liev had jumped ship on his first and last mission for Night Reaper.

"Liev! We're coming! Hold on!" It was Yael! Liev felt a grin spread across his face as Kharver flinched. Without wasting another moment the huge assassin reached for Liev and snatched him up, throwing the teen across his shoulder before dashing out of the room Liev had been imprisoned in.

They appeared to be underground because everything was lit by candles and lacrima and there were no windows at all. It looked like a cellar, if a cellar could also look like a vast underground maze with doors and corridors around almost every corner. Liev assumed Kharver and the mages he had been arguing with either had a map or spent a long time navigating through the depths. Liev was far from comfortable on Kharver's shoulder and his movements inflamed Liev's injuries even more, so much that he was almost convinced Kharver was doing it on purpose.

"**Fire Bullet!"**

A roaring ball of flame blazed past Liev's head, singing a few stray hairs. If he had the strength he'd tell Rana to try aiming, as it was he simply mumbled a few incoherent words.

"What?" said Kharver. When Liev didn't answer Kharver bumped the teen up and down on his shoulder, making him even more uncomfortable. He dodged through another long, dingy corridor until eventually he reached what appeared to be a dead end. Yael – who was carrying Abhainn in both hands – plus Alicia and Rana appeared behind them a moment later. Liev noticed that all of them save Yael were in a pretty sorry state; one of Rana's arms was coated in blood and bites and hung uselessly at her side. Alicia's armour was horrifically rent in over a dozen places and her right gauntlet was nowhere to be seen, exposing almost unhealthily pale skin to the dull light.

"Give us our friend back!" Yael roared, planting Abhainn into the stone and settling into a low offensive stance. Alicia summoned a scimitar that shone like starlight and measured it threateningly at Kharver. Rana raised her good hand and five small blazing projectiles winked into existence at the tips of each of her fingers.

Kharver observed the dead end for a moment before sighing heavily. He cast a sidelong look at Liev.

"Looks like he's going to have to be happy with just your head kid," with that, he threw Liev viciously onto the ground and raised a spiked gauntlet to finish the ex-assassin in one blow.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Slash!"**

"Fire Dragon's wha–?" Kharver looked up in surprise as Yael blurred into existence in front of him, the ethereal fire adorning her arms stretching outwards before she lashed out, blasting the large assassin through a wall. Daylight streamed through the hole and through it, Liev could see that there was a small plateau of land outside that ended with a sheer drop. The ocean could be seen beyond the drop, stretching far towards the horizon.

Yael stood guard, glaring at the hole as if daring Kharver to reappear. As she did so, Rana hobbled over to Liev's prone form, kneeling before him. She took a shocked breath as she took in his battered appearance.

"You… do not look good," she told him.

"Yeah, I thought so," Liev wheezed in reply.

"I mean… really this is… Alicia!" she called and mere seconds later Alicia stood next to her.

"What's that sword you've got for situations like these?" Rana asked her teammate.

"**Dance of Blades: Soul!"**

The scimitar in her hands shimmied out of existence, replaced instead by what looked like a curved gladius. Alicia performed several looping movements with the blade and conjured up what appeared to be a giant bubble which enveloped both Rana and Liev. Once this was done the membrane of the bubble began to glow a soothing lime and almost immediately Liev could feel his strength begin to return. His wounds though did not seem to be disappearing, and if the expression on Rana's face was any indication, that was probably a bad thing.

After a few seconds the bubble vanished with an audible _pop_. The weapon Alicia had used to summon the healing bubble also shattered and vanished in a dazzling display of light.

"Is that… supposed to happen?" Liev asked as he pushed himself upright, grimacing as the wyvern bites began to smart.

"No," answered Alicia, her face unreadable, "the healing effect is meant to last ten times longer than that, and while it wouldn't completely erase them, it would certainly have made both your wounds much less severe."

"Think there's something in them? Venom of some kind?" asked Rana, glancing at her bloody arm as she flexed the limb. She winced as soon as she pulled the action off and let it hang at her side again, frowning.

"If it is it's no ordinary poison. It's far from healing magic but it should remove most normal impurities,"

"Great, then we're still walking wounded," Liev said with a frown as he picked himself up. The bites on his shoulder and ankle felt like Yael was working an inferno on them but he grit his teeth and tried his best to shut the sensation out. He took a few cautious steps forward before finding his stride and stopping to a halt in front of Abhainn.

"Hey partner," Liev said, gazing softly at the blade embedded in the stone floor.

"I thought you'd died…" Abhainn whispered, "I was watching Yael but then I saw your body dragged off out of the corner of my vision and–"

"So you were lying when you said you could see all around you then," Liev interrupted her bluntly.

"Wha–? What?! You… you stupid, witless boy! I was worried sick about you and you – the nerve, the sheer _nerve!_"

"Okay, okay. Sorry… I missed you too," with that he took hold of her grip and placed her back in the sheath upon his back.

"All right," Liev said as he turned to the three Fairy Tail mages who were peering cautiously through the hole Yael had made through Kharver, "I dunno about you guys but I'd _really _like some payback."

"And some answers," Alicia added.

"Those would be good, but honestly, I'd like nothing more than to sit back in a nice, hot bath and sleep all this off," Alicia shot a stern glance at Rana, who suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"I'd like nothing more than to take all your heads," muttered a gruff voice from beneath a pile of rubble outside. Yael snarled and launched herself at the rubble. As she was a metre away from slamming her flaming fist into the mass of stone and rock, a gauntlet punched through the pile and only her extraordinary reflexes saved her impaling her throat on one of the spines on Kharver's gauntlet.

Kharver picked himself up out of the rubble, shaking and patting off loose pieces of debris and dust. When he was done he glanced at Yael, who had entered a half-crouch which more resembled a feline than a dragon. Kharver cracked his neck and stretched his limbs out, giving them a shake before settling his gaze back on Yael.

"That kind of hurt little girl," he said.

Yael attacked.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" **She roared, concentrating her magic power into a devastating right hook that would surely have KO'd even the strongest of foes.

"Oh no you don't. Not this time!" Kharver said with a shake of his head as he raised one of his gauntlets to defend himself. Yael's flame-wreathed fist collided with Kharver's gauntlet with all the force of a raging storm and, incredibly, Kharver held his ground. Yael pushed off the gauntlet and did a neat little backflip, landing on her feet. Kharver's iron gauntlet had not so much as a blemish.

"I actually felt that," Kharver said, shaking the hand that had taken the punch, "that's some pretty scary strength you've got little girl, but I…" he trailed off; a second later he tilted his head as if listening for something.

"Oh don't tell me…" he groaned, turning towards the edge of the drop and peering over. Curious, the four adolescents made their way to the edge; though took care to stay a reasonable distance from Kharver in case it was a trick.

Down below them lay a peaceful little cove, and upon that cove stood several dozen men and women in dark garb. They appeared to be manhandling large cages which, on closer inspection, each contained what looked like a wyvern. A flag was pitched in the centre of the makeshift camp; it was pitch black and bore the symbol of a red gargoyle.

_Red Gargoyle…_

Liev's eyes widened as he remembered the name, and from the look on Alicia and Rana's faces they'd made the same connection: the Dark Guild, Red Gargoyle, which had annihilated three Light Guilds over the course of a single month.

"You realise of course now that you've seen all that, I'm going to have to kill all of you," Kharver said as he ran a hand over his face, sounding more tired than Liev had ever heard.

"I thought he was going to do that anyway," Abhainn said with a snort.

"He can damn well try," Liev replied and, in a heartbeat, had drawn Abhainn and swung her in a vicious arc, aiming to take Kharver's head from his shoulders in one swift motion.

Kharver stepped back, Abhainn passing harmlessly in front of him. Alicia summoned a Bastard sword that looked like it had been cut from crystal and performed an intricate series of arcing movements that appeared to put Kharver on the back foot before he caught the blade on the spike of one of his gauntlets and lashed out with a devastating kick that actually cracked Alicia's already abused breastplate.

Rana launched a barrage of fire magic that would have resulted in the complete conflagration of a small rainforest but Kharver took every attack on his gauntlets and the magic seemed to dissipate out of existence. It was almost like Abhainn's rather unique ability to cut through and dispel magic she touched.

"**Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!"**

Yael came blasting into striking range of Kharver, the tips of one hand ablaze. She slashed at Kharver, who ducked the attack, but found himself momentarily distracted by the wave of flame the attack left in its wake. Yael's mouth curled in a feral grin as she noticed the opening.

"**Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"**

A column of fire exploded from Yael's left elbow, in the space of a nanosecond she powered her fist into Kharver's unguarded solar plexus. The sheer weight behind the attack blew Kharver off the cliff, and he landed in the ocean some good distance away.

"Damn…" Liev marvelled aloud as Yael turned away from where her opponent had previously stood, a wide smile on her face.

"That was fun… bit too short though, wish it could've lasted longer," she said, scratching the back of her head.

"I wish I could go through one encounter with Night Reaper without suffering severe blood loss but we can't all get what we want," Liev said with a deadpan expression.

"He was from your old Guild?" Rana asked inquisitively. Yael looked to Liev for answers and even Alicia seemed a little interested.

"Well… yeah, his name's Kurtis Kharver. Second liked him a lot 'cause he was one of the only guys who actually planned ahead whenever he took a job. Pretty damned good fighter too."

"Didn't seem much like it to me," Rana said with a sidelong glance at the spot in the ocean where the assassin had fallen.

"In fairness I don't think he really did many jobs in which his targets fought back. Even more to the point I don't think he was expecting Yael's magic to be so strong. He seemed almost like he was just mucking around when we started fighting him," and that would be like Kharver, Liev reasoned silently to himself.

"Regardless, the assassin's dealt with," Alicia spoke up, "now we need to do something about the Dark Guild down below. From the looks of it they have something to do with these monsters infesting the castle."

"They're Wyverns," Liev told her. The entire group looked at him in surprise.

"Abhainn recognised them. Says they're wyverns. No idea how they survived or what a Dark Guild's got to do with them but she says that's what they are."

"Right…" Alicia said, uncertainty clouding her tone and Liev noticed that her eyebrow raised a fraction; she still hadn't quite bought into the whole 'talking sword' deal just yet. She shook her head and crouched down on one knee, motioning for the rest of us to come closer as she drew up a strategy.

"Okay, so anyway, we need a plan. Hopefully we still have the element of surprise–"

A chunk of building above us exploded as a shadow bullet impacted against it, raining stone and loose chunks of cliff side around them.

"I thought so," muttered Abhainn as a troupe of individuals in dark robes, each bearing the Red Gargoyle of their Guild, appeared over the edge of the cliff and the four Fairies found themselves embattled once more.

**-X-**

**I wanted to type so much more up for this but doing that would have probably made this a chore to read in one sitting, so with that I'll love you and leave you. Happy New Year. C&C is still appreciated.**


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